Highlands SHS

As an average-sized secondary school in Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania, Highlands SHS works with 665 students from grades 9 through 12, run under Highlands SD.

Across the 4 schools in Highlands SD (2,004 students total), Highlands SHS accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, Highlands SHS logs that 77% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school lists 10% multiracial, 9% Black, 3% Hispanic. That composition is broadly in line with Allegheny County as a whole.

On the resource side, The school currently runs with 46 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.4:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 12.8:1 average. Roughly 107% of students at Highlands SHS qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Allegheny County runs at roughly 54%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Allegheny County indicate median household earnings sit near $78,548, roughly 46% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Allegheny County's 277 public schools (combined enrollment of about 141,392 students), Highlands SHS is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Highlands MS, roughly 0.3 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Highlands SHS.

The campus sits in a bedroom-community setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Highlands SHS has edged down 14%, going from 771 students in 2018 to 665 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 83% to 77% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 17.5:1 in 2018 to 14.4:1 today.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.