Highland Elem

As a close-knit elementary-level community in Columbus, Kansas, Highland Elem enrolls 136 students from grades 2 through 3, overseen by Columbus. That puts it 57% leaner than the typical public school in Kansas, which averages around 313 students.

Within Columbus, which oversees 4 schools and 1,130 students, Highland Elem is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Highland Elem lists that the student body is overwhelmingly White (89%). Beyond that, the school logs 5% multiracial, 3% Hispanic, 2% Native American. That composition is broadly in line with Cherokee County as a whole.

Looking at school resources, The school employs 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 15.4:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.2:1 average. An estimated 65% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

Around the school, Cherokee County reports that median household income runs about $57,668, 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 9%. Highland Elem is one of 17 public schools in Cherokee County (combined enrollment of about 3,647 students).

Nearest neighbor: Columbus Junior High and High School, around 0.3 miles off. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools.

Geographically, the school is in a town-center area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 6 years, enrollment at Highland Elem has ticked down 9%, going from 150 students in 2018 to 136 in 2024.

On the community side, members of the Highland Elem community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.