1
What's the vibe like in the hallways at HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
704
Elementary
DISTRICT 414 · STATE 287
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·LAS CRUCES·NCES 350150000702
HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY
4201 EMERALD ST, LAS CRUCES, NM 88012 · (575) 527-9636 · Doña Ana County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL704 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 70% of New Mexico public elementary schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded New Mexico public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
14.4:1
49 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.6:1 · STATE 12.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
100%
704 students
DISTRICT 100% · STATE 90%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 13 | 2% |
| Kindergarten | 106 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 117 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 118 | 17% |
| Grade 3 | 117 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 127 | 18% |
| Grade 5 | 106 | 15% |
This year's kindergarten class (106) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (106).
Student demographics
42%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 34% · STATE 55% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
NM-MSSA + NM-ASR 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
55.3%
NM avg 44.2%
Math
32.4%
NM avg 27.2%
What this means: On the NM-MSSA + NM-ASR, New Mexico's statewide test, about 55 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 32 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all New Mexico schools, those numbers are about 44 and 27.
Source: NM-MSSA + NM-ASR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
41.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
33.4%
based on NM schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+8.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 42% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 33% typical for New Mexico schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among New Mexico's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY
HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY's state test result (41.8% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY this school | 704 | 100.0% | 41.8% |
| SONOMA ELEMENTARY LAS CRUCES | 660 | 99.8% | 49.4% |
| MONTE VISTA ELEMENTARY LAS CRUCES | 706 | 100.0% | 37.0% |
| TIERRA ANTIGUA ELEMENTARY ALBUQUERQUE | 696 | 99.9% | 37.3% |
| SUSIE RAYOS MARMON ELEMENTARY ALBUQUERQUE | 507 | 100.0% | 23.0% |
| TURQUOISE TRAIL CHARTER SCHOOL SANTA FE | 622 | 99.8% | 25.7% |
Matched among New Mexico elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In New Mexico | In Doña Ana County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 41.8% | #90 of 329 | #14 of 39 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 32.4% | #119 of 354 | #17 of 39 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 55.3% | #76 of 366 | #6 of 40 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 704 | #7 of 490 | #2 of 47 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.4:1 | #216 of 318 | #34 of 37 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 41.6% | #168 of 334 | #6 of 37 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 100% | #136 of 393 | #33 of 45 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -14.8% | #195 of 287 | #20 of 33 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
704
-39 (-5%) vs 2020
+18% since 1990-91, when it was 599
Student : Teacher
14.4:1
was 15.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 704 | 49 | 14.4:1 | 100% (704) |
| 2023-24 | 724 | 46 | 15.7:1 | 100% (723) |
| 2022-23 | 744 | 45 | 16.5:1 | 100% (744) |
| 2020-21 | 743 | 48 | 15.5:1 | 100% (743) |
| 2017-18 | 826 | 47.4 | 17.4:1 | 55% (454) |
| 2015-16 | 799 | 49 | 16.3:1 | 55% (437) |
| 2010-11 | 696 | 40 | 17.4:1 | 47% (327) |
| 2000-01 | 555 | 36 | 15.4:1 | 54% (298) |
| 1990-91 | 599 | 31 | 19.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY.
Since 2017-18: students down 15% (826 to 704); teachers up 3% (47.4 to 49).
About HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY
HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY is a large elementary school in New Mexico, located in LAS CRUCES. The student body numbers 704 students, from pre-K through 5. Average enrollment for elementary schools in New Mexico is about 287, so this school runs 145% larger than that.
LAS CRUCES is responsible for 39 schools, HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY included, with 22,670 students in all.
At HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY, Hispanic students make up 74% of the student body. The remaining shares are 18% White and 4% multiracial. Pick two students at random and there is a 42% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
The school employs the equivalent of 49 full-time teachers, for a ratio of 14.4:1. That is higher than the 12.9:1 average for elementary schools in New Mexico. The free or reduced-price lunch share, often used to gauge student poverty, is 100%. For comparison, public schools in Doña Ana County average 98%.
The allk12 Grade for HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY is B+. Compared with New Mexico public elementary schools, the school scored higher than 70% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
On BeatsExpectations, HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY is 8.4 points above its prediction, a result in the middle 80% of New Mexico schools.
HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY is located in Doña Ana County, where the median household income is $56,848, 32% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 19% of residents live below the federal poverty line. HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY is one of 81 public schools in the county.
The nearest public school is SONOMA ELEMENTARY, at about 0.5 miles. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools. Nearby schools with test data average 37.8% proficiency; HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY posts 41.8%.
The school's federal locale classification is City: Mid-size.
Enrollment at HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY declined 5% between 2020-21 and 2024-25, from 743 to 704 students. The ratio was 15.5:1 in 2020-21 and 14.4:1 in 2024-25.
Posts about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs are welcome on this page. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Doña Ana County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
224,266
Census ACS
Median income
$56,848
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
32%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
19%
Below federal line
Schools in county
81
36,561 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in LAS CRUCES
- ORGAN MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,128 students
- CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,713 students
- LAS CRUCES HIGHHigh · 1,703 students
- MAYFIELD HIGHHigh · 1,327 students
- CAMINO REAL MIDDLEMiddle · 933 students
- MESA MIDDLEMiddle · 728 students
Other schools in LAS CRUCES
- ORGAN MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,128 students
- CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,713 students
- LAS CRUCES HIGHHigh · 1,703 students
- MAYFIELD HIGHHigh · 1,327 students
- CAMINO REAL MIDDLEMiddle · 933 students
- MESA MIDDLEMiddle · 728 students
Other Highland Elementary schools
55 other US public schools in 26 states are named Highland Elementary. HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY is the 6th largest of the 56.
- HIGHLAND ELEMENTARYCLOVIS, NM · 268 students
- HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLLAKE WORTH, FL · 976 students
- Highland ElementarySanford, NC · 854 students
- Highland Elementary SchoolMarengo, OH · 836 students
- Highland Elementary SchoolEvansville, IN · 814 students
Nearby schools
- SONOMA ELEMENTARY0.5 mi · 660
- CAMINO REAL MIDDLE1.2 mi · 933
- ORGAN MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL1.9 mi · 2,128
- MONTE VISTA ELEMENTARY2.4 mi · 706
- JORNADA ELEMENTARY2.6 mi · 429
- MESA MIDDLE2.8 mi · 728
Frequently asked questions
About HIGHLAND ELEMENTARYWhat is the total enrollment at HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY?
HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY enrolls approximately 704 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY serve?
HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY?
Approximately 14.4:1 students per teacher at HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY.
How diverse is HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY?
HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY reports a student body of 18% White, 74% Hispanic, 2% Black, 2% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Who oversees HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY?
HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY is overseen by LAS CRUCES in Doña Ana County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.