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What's the biggest difference between HIGHLANDS EL and what you expected?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
541
Elementary
DISTRICT 638 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·FORT BEND ISD·NCES 481965006255
HIGHLANDS EL
2022 COLONIST PARK DR, SUGAR LAND, TX 77478 · (281) 634-4160 · Fort Bend County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL541 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
13.6:1
40 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.4:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
41%
224 students
DISTRICT 53% · STATE 65%
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
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
STAAR 2023-24 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
69.0%
TX avg 51.8% . +5.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
63.0%
TX avg 42.0% . -4.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 69 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 63 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 52 and 42. Reading scores are up about 5 points since 2020, while math scores are down about 4 points.
Source: STAAR. 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
59.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
55.8%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+3.3pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 59% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 56% typical for Texas 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 Texas'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 →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
541
-94 (-15%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
13.6:1
was 17.1:1
% White
24%
was 30%
% Hispanic
25%
was 21%
% Black
16%
was 11%
% Asian
29%
was 34%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About HIGHLANDS EL
HIGHLANDS EL is an elementary school of middle-of-the-pack scale in SUGAR LAND, Texas, overseen by FORT BEND ISD, instructing 541 students in grades pre-K through 5.
FORT BEND ISD comprises 83 schools with combined enrollment of 79,663 students; HIGHLANDS EL is among them.
On demographics, HIGHLANDS EL lists that the largest single group is Asian at 29%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school reports 25% Hispanic, 24% White, 16% Black, 6% multiracial.
On the resource side, The school employs 40 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 13.6:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 15.1:1 average. About 41% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.
On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), HIGHLANDS EL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 55.8%; this one delivers 59.1%.
Around the school, the surrounding county (Fort Bend County) shows that median household income runs about $114,041, 50% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. HIGHLANDS EL is one of 217 public schools in Fort Bend County (combined enrollment of about 191,372 students).
Nearest neighbor: COLONY BEND EL, around 1.2 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), HIGHLANDS EL ranks 5th on composite proficiency, above the local average of 59.0%.
HIGHLANDS EL operates from a city-core location.
Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 15%: 635 students in 2018 compared to 541 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 30% to 24%. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 17.1:1 in 2018 to 13.6:1 today.
In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Fort Bend County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
893,767
Census ACS
Median income
$114,041
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
50%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
217
191,372 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in FORT BEND ISD
- WILLIAM B TRAVIS H SHigh · 3,114 students
- LAWRENCE E ELKINS H SHigh · 2,848 students
- RIDGE POINT H SHigh · 2,816 students
- STEPHEN F AUSTIN H SHigh · 2,655 students
- CLEMENTS H SHigh · 2,641 students
- GEORGE BUSH H SHigh · 2,428 students
Other schools in SUGAR LAND
- STEPHEN F AUSTIN H SHigh · 2,655 students
- CLEMENTS H SHigh · 2,641 students
- DULLES H SHigh · 2,165 students
- KEMPNER H SHigh · 1,850 students
- FORT SETTLEMENT MIDDLEMiddle · 1,504 students
- HARMONY SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE - SUGAR LANDElementary · 1,471 students
Nearby schools
- COLONY BEND EL1.2 mi · 526
- LEXINGTON CREEK EL1.5 mi · 506
- SETTLERS WAY EL1.5 mi · 698
- FIRST COLONY MIDDLE1.6 mi · 1,270
- DULLES EL1.7 mi · 675
- DULLES H S1.9 mi · 2,165
Frequently asked questions
About HIGHLANDS ELWhat is the total enrollment at HIGHLANDS EL?
HIGHLANDS EL enrolls approximately 541 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does HIGHLANDS EL serve?
HIGHLANDS EL serves grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at HIGHLANDS EL?
The student-to-teacher ratio at HIGHLANDS EL is approximately 13.6:1 (40 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at HIGHLANDS EL?
Student demographics at HIGHLANDS EL are roughly 24% White, 25% Hispanic, 16% Black, 29% Asian, 6% Two or more.
What district is HIGHLANDS EL in?
HIGHLANDS EL is part of FORT BEND ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.