Highland Gardens Elementary School

Summary:

Highland Gardens Elementary School is a public elementary school in Montgomery, Alabama, serving 471 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Montgomery County School District, which is ranked 110 out of 137 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highland Gardens Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of Alabama elementary schools, with significantly below-average performance on state assessments across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 25.37% of 3rd graders, 8.62% of 4th graders, and 7.59% of 5th graders were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 42.16%, 38.32%, and 37.13% at the state level, respectively. The school also struggles to support the academic achievement of its student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 25% of Alabama elementary schools for African American, Hispanic, Native American, and English Language Learner students.

When comparing Highland Gardens Elementary to other nearby schools in the Montgomery County district, it becomes clear that the school is an outlier in terms of academic performance. For instance, Forest Avenue Elementary, located just 2.66 miles away, ranked 1st out of 684 Alabama elementary schools in 2023-2024 and had significantly higher proficiency rates across all subject areas and grade levels. Despite the school's low academic performance, Highland Gardens Elementary spends $9,237 per student, which is higher than the spending at some of the higher-performing nearby schools, such as Morningview Elementary ($7,725 per student) and Dalraida Elementary ($8,822 per student).


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 2801 Willena Ave
       Montgomery, AL  36107-1096


(334) 269-3685

District: Montgomery County

SchoolDigger Rank:
627th of 684 Alabama Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,237 Help


Students who attend Highland Gardens Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Capitol Heights Middle School
High:    Percy Julian High School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.1 Help
Number of students:  447

Racial breakdown:

African American:
66.2%
Hispanic:
28.4%
White:
3.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  94.4% Help


 See top rated Alabama elementary schools

 Compare Highland Gardens Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Highland Gardens Elementary School ranks worse than 91.7% of elementary schools in Alabama. It also ranks 18th among 29 ranked elementary schools in the Montgomery County School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.28. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (66.2%), Hispanic (28.4%), White (3.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 94.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland Gardens Elementary School is 17.1, which is the 11th best among 29 elementary schools in the Montgomery County School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Highland Gardens Elementary School employs 26 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highland Gardens Elementary School is $9,237, which is the 12th highest among 29 elementary schools in the Montgomery County School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highland Gardens Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Highland Gardens Elementary School 627th of 684 Alabama public elementary schools. (See Highland Gardens Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
Native American students:


Montgomery County:

SchoolDigger ranks Montgomery County 110th of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Highland Gardens Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Highland Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 21.59 532nd 623 14.6%
2005 26.94 573rd 688 16.7%
2006 29.18 560th 689 18.7%
2007 32.68 553rd 698 20.8%
2008 51.61 367th 698 47.4%
2009 30.29 565th 696 18.8%
2010 42.14 501st 704 28.8%
2011 36.47 539th 709 24.0%
2012 20.63 632nd 696 9.2%
2013 30.46 585th 696 15.9%
2014 16.32 612th 695 11.9%
2015 9.11 662nd 691 4.2%
2016 6.74 678th 691 1.9%
2017 6.96 671st 688 2.5%
2018 4.76 674th 680 0.9%
2019 3.76 678th 681 0.4%
2021 9.35 668th 692 3.5%
2022 10.71 639th 687 7.0%
2023 10.65 623rd 680 8.4%
2024 11.28 627th 684 8.3%
See the entire list of Alabama Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Highland Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.52 63rd 65 3.1%
2019 19.26 72nd 74 2.7%
2021 20.98 96th 100 4.0%
2022 28.71 92nd 110 16.4%
2023 40.94 72nd 123 41.5%
2024 33.66 98th 131 25.2%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 7.05 557th 567 1.8%
2018 6.60 644th 651 1.1%
2019 6.06 645th 649 0.6%
2021 11.86 621st 653 4.9%
2022 16.40 568th 651 12.7%
2023 15.46 558th 623 10.4%
2024 14.51 606th 670 9.6%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highland Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 6.27 628th 639 1.7%
2018 3.79 638th 640 0.3%
2019 7.52 629th 646 2.6%
2021 10.82 630th 656 4.0%
2022 9.22 632nd 656 3.7%
2023 13.29 577th 645 10.5%
2024 13.90 578th 650 11.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highland Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 9.76 604th 639 5.5%
2018 7.74 625th 650 3.8%
2019 4.07 648th 650 0.3%
2021 10.09 644th 669 3.7%
2022 13.56 592nd 669 11.5%
2023 10.44 600th 649 7.6%
2024 12.31 591st 655 9.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Highland Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 13.20 323rd 336 3.9%
2018 12.75 412th 423 2.6%
2019 11.65 422nd 426 0.9%
2021 18.97 396th 426 7.0%
2022 21.09 375th 426 12.0%
2023 19.03 386th 427 9.6%
2024 25.65 345th 420 17.9%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highland Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 16.35 124th 130 4.6%
2018 12.12 136th 140 2.9%
2019 6.84 152nd 152 0.0%
2021 10.36 161st 164 1.8%
2022 19.16 154th 175 12.0%
2023 27.60 141st 184 23.4%
2024 22.11 173rd 196 11.7%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Highland Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 5.83 58th 58 0.0%
2021 13.08 61st 63 3.2%
2022 15.76 63rd 65 3.1%
2024 15.70 56th 59 5.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Highland Gardens Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 3.87 526th 529 0.6%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Highland Gardens Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Highland Gardens Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 915 915
1989 559 341 5 1 1 n/a n/a 0 907
1990 538 376 2 1 0 n/a n/a 0 917
1991 575 354 2 2 1 n/a n/a 0 934
1992 540 355 3 1 0 n/a n/a 0 899
1993 528 361 5 1 1 n/a n/a 0 896
1994 519 326 3 1 1 n/a n/a 0 850
1995 454 344 1 2 1 n/a n/a 0 802
1996 454 344 1 2 1 n/a n/a 0 802
1997 415 393 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 811
1998 402 396 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 800
1999 362 431 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 797
2000 328 441 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 771
2001 331 415 4 5 0 n/a n/a 0 755
2002 270 438 0 5 1 n/a n/a 0 714
2003 270 438 0 5 1 n/a n/a 0 714
2004 156 417 1 11 1 n/a n/a 1 587
2005 114 432 4 11 0 n/a n/a 0 561
2006 104 452 2 14 0 n/a n/a 1 573
2007 83 454 3 14 0 n/a n/a 0 554
2008 56 448 0 30 0 n/a n/a 0 534
2009 69 484 2 41 0 n/a n/a 0 596
2010 54 465 2 48 0 n/a n/a 0 569
2011 59 414 2 44 0 0 1 0 520
2012 47 410 2 46 0 0 8 0 513
2013 39 355 2 57 0 0 10 0 463
2014 32 361 2 58 0 0 14 0 467
2015 23 351 2 58 0 0 9 0 443
2016 39 377 0 75 0 0 6 0 497
2017 35 344 0 80 0 0 3 0 462
2018 35 329 0 86 3 0 2 0 455
2019 33 360 0 91 0 0 1 0 485
2020 35 354 0 105 6 0 10 0 510
2021 16 309 0 119 1 1 11 0 457
2022 21 314 0 118 4 0 6 0 463
2023 17 324 1 121 0 0 8 0 471
2024 14 296 0 127 0 0 10 0 447

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Highland Gardens Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 915 47.0 19.4 0
1989 907 47.0 19.2 n/a
1990 917 49.0 18.7 0
1991 934 47.0 19.8 n/a
1992 899 47.0 19.1 n/a
1993 896 46.0 19.5 n/a
1994 850 45.7 18.6 n/a
1995 802 47.0 17.1 n/a
1996 802 47.0 17.1 n/a
1997 811 43.0 18.9 64.7
1998 800 46.0 17.4 71.9
1999 797 47.0 17.0 79.7
2000 771 48.0 16.1 80.9
2001 755 47.0 16.1 83.3
2002 714 44.9 15.9 91.9
2003 714 44.9 15.9 91.9
2004 587 39.0 15.1 91.6
2005 561 37.0 15.2 93.4
2006 573 38.0 15.1 94.9
2007 554 37.5 14.8 93.7
2008 534 36.6 14.6 96.3
2009 596 36.6 16.1 96.3
2010 569 n/a n/a 96.5
2011 520 35.0 14.8 97.3
2012 513 35.0 14.6 95.7
2013 463 33.0 14.0 93.7
2014 467 29.0 16.1 97.2
2015 443 27.0 16.4 81.7
2016 497 26.0 19.1 76.5
2017 462 26.0 17.7 82.9
2018 455 25.0 18.2 93.4
2019 485 23.0 21.0 93.2
2020 510 27.0 18.8 93.7
2021 457 27.0 16.9 94.5
2022 463 27.0 17.1 93.7
2023 471 22.0 21.4 93.6
2024 447 26.0 17.1 94.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Highland Gardens Elementary School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 915 47.0 19.4 0
1989 907 47.0 19.2 n/a
1990 917 49.0 18.7 0
1991 934 47.0 19.8 n/a
1992 899 47.0 19.1 n/a
1993 896 46.0 19.5 n/a
1994 850 45.7 18.6 n/a
1995 802 47.0 17.1 n/a
1996 802 47.0 17.1 n/a
1997 811 43.0 18.9 64.7
1998 800 46.0 17.4 71.9
1999 797 47.0 17.0 79.7
2000 771 48.0 16.1 80.9
2001 755 47.0 16.1 83.3
2002 714 44.9 15.9 91.9
2003 714 44.9 15.9 91.9
2004 587 39.0 15.1 91.6
2005 561 37.0 15.2 93.4
2006 573 38.0 15.1 94.9
2007 554 37.5 14.8 93.7
2008 534 36.6 14.6 96.3
2009 596 36.6 16.1 96.3
2010 569 n/a n/a 96.5
2011 520 35.0 14.8 97.3
2012 513 35.0 14.6 95.7
2013 463 33.0 14.0 93.7
2014 467 29.0 16.1 97.2
2015 443 27.0 16.4 81.7
2016 497 26.0 19.1 76.5
2017 462 26.0 17.7 82.9
2018 455 25.0 18.2 93.4
2019 485 23.0 21.0 93.2
2020 510 27.0 18.8 93.7
2021 457 27.0 16.9 94.5
2022 463 27.0 17.1 93.7
2023 471 22.0 21.4 93.6
2024 447 26.0 17.1 94.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Highland Gardens Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,199 (23.8%) $6,988 (75.7%) $9,237

Data source: Alabama Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland Gardens Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 678th of 681 Elementary schoolsRanks 623rd of 680 Elementary schools
 7.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Highland Gardens Elementary School)23.119.7
 3.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Montgomery County)4422.2
 21.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Alabama)57.543.6
 13.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Highland Gardens Elementary School)10.313.2
 2.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Montgomery County)3115.1
 15.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)47.334.9
 12.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Highland Gardens Elementary School)9.26.9
 2.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Montgomery County)28.314.7
 13.6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)44.933.9
 10.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students485471
 2.9%
African American360324
 10%
American Indian00
Asian01
Hispanic91121
 33%
Pacific Islander00
White3317
 48.5%
Two or More Races18
 700%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients93.2%93.6%
 0.4%


Schools Near Highland Gardens Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Gardens Elementary School

Students at Highland Gardens Elementary School are 66% African American, 28% Hispanic, 3% White, 2% Two or more races.

Highland Gardens Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.3% of Alabama elementary schools.

Students who attend Highland Gardens Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Capitol Heights Middle School
High : Percy Julian High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 447 students attended Highland Gardens Elementary School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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