Highland Free School

Summary:

Highland Free School is a small public charter elementary school serving grades K-6 in Tucson, Arizona, with a diverse student population of just 44 students. Despite its small size, this school consistently outperforms the state and nearby Tucson Unified District schools on academic measures.

In the 2022-2023 school year, Highland Free School had significantly higher proficiency rates than the state in English Language Arts (67-80% vs. 37-45%) and Science (67-80% vs. 37-45%). While Mathematics proficiency was more mixed (25-56% vs. 31-43%), the school's performance was still above the state average. Highland Free School's success is particularly notable for certain student subgroups, ranking 13th out of 1,170 Arizona elementary schools for Hispanic students in ELA and 5th out of 1,201 schools for students with special needs in Mathematics.

With a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and a ranking in the top quarter of Arizona elementary schools, Highland Free School stands out as a high-performing charter school. This success may be partially attributed to the school's higher per-student spending of $16,733, compared to the $6,966 to $12,731 range of nearby Borton Primary Magnet School, Safford K-8 School, and other Tucson Unified District schools. Overall, Highland Free School appears to be a model of academic excellence and equity, providing a quality education to its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-6

510 S Highland Ave
Tucson, AZ 85719-6427

(520) 623-0104

District: Highland Free School

Student/teacher ratio: 0.0

Number of students: 35

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.0%

Hispanic:

34.3%

Two or more races:

17.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 57.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Highland Free School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.78. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Highland Free School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (40%), Hispanic (34.3%), two or more races (17.1%). (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

Highland Free School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

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Rank History for Highland Free School

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Rank History for all students at Highland Free School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2012	44.08	679^th	1141	40.5%
2013	53.49	548^th	1158	52.7%
2021	37.90	691^st	1226	43.6%
2022	65.11	299^th	1000	70.1%
2023	74.78	293^rd	1245	76.5%

See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Highland Free School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	35.38	675^th	1027	34.3%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highland Free School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	79.70	72^nd	1201	94.0%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland Free School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	77.98	149^th	1116	86.6%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highland Free School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2021	46.87	573^rd	1219	53.0%
2022	68.93	214^th	824	74.0%
2023	85.76	144^th	1219	88.2%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highland Free School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	37.11	698^th	1220	42.8%
2023	49.36	548^th	1216	54.9%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Highland Free School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	22.76	801^st	895	10.5%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highland Free School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2021	54.80	446^th	1198	62.8%
2022	87.57	49^th	716	93.2%
2023	97.79	13^th	1170	98.9%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Highland Free School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2021	30.96	855^th	1161	26.4%
2022	34.36	582^nd	800	27.3%
2023	65.92	304^th	1024	70.3%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona 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.

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Highland Free School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2001	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
2002	31	0	0	5	1	n/a	n/a	37
2003	31	0	0	5	1	n/a	n/a	37
2004	30	0	0	5	1	n/a	n/a	36
2005	27	2	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	33
2006	49	2	0	5	3	n/a	n/a	59
2007	43	2	1	11	4	n/a	n/a	61
2008	40	1	3	11	4	n/a	n/a	59
2009	39	2	4	11	5	n/a	n/a	61
2010	38	1	2	12	6	n/a	n/a	59
2011	40	2	1	16	3	0	1	63
2012	30	2	2	17	2	0	1	54
2013	21	3	0	18	2	0	0	44
2014	20	1	0	23	2	0	2	48
2015	20	2	1	15	1	0	2	41
2016	22	4	1	17	1	0	2	47
2017	20	2	1	21	0	0	1	45
2018	28	3	1	23	0	0	1	56
2019	30	3	1	25	0	0	3	62
2020	30	3	1	20	0	0	2	56
2021	24	5	0	21	0	0	4	54
2022	22	3	0	14	0	0	3	42
2023	23	4	0	12	0	0	5	44
2024	14	3	0	12	0	0	6	35

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 Free School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	0	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	37	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	37	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	36	n/a	n/a	61.1
2005	33	n/a	n/a	87.9
2006	59	n/a	n/a	71.2
2007	61	n/a	n/a	52.5
2008	59	n/a	n/a	57.6
2009	61	n/a	n/a	52.5
2010	59	n/a	n/a	59.3
2011	63	n/a	n/a	57.1
2012	54	n/a	n/a	46.3
2013	44	n/a	n/a	43.2
2014	48	n/a	n/a	50
2015	41	n/a	n/a	n/a
2016	47	n/a	n/a	55.3
2017	45	n/a	n/a	57.8
2018	56	n/a	n/a	n/a
2019	62	n/a	n/a	n/a
2020	56	n/a	n/a	n/a
2021	54	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	42	n/a	n/a	n/a
2023	44	n/a	n/a	n/a
2024	35	n/a	n/a	n/a

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 Free School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	0	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	37	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	37	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	36	n/a	n/a	61.1
2005	33	n/a	n/a	87.9
2006	59	n/a	n/a	71.2
2007	61	n/a	n/a	52.5
2008	59	n/a	n/a	57.6
2009	61	n/a	n/a	52.5
2010	59	n/a	n/a	59.3
2011	63	n/a	n/a	57.1
2012	54	n/a	n/a	46.3
2013	44	n/a	n/a	43.2
2014	48	n/a	n/a	50
2015	41	n/a	n/a	n/a
2016	47	n/a	n/a	55.3
2017	45	n/a	n/a	57.8
2018	56	n/a	n/a	n/a
2019	62	n/a	n/a	n/a
2020	56	n/a	n/a	n/a
2021	54	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	42	n/a	n/a	n/a
2023	44	n/a	n/a	n/a
2024	35	n/a	n/a	n/a

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 Free School

Year	Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Total Expenditures from Federal Funds	Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$993 (5.9%)	$455 (2.7%)	$2,442 (14.6%)	$9,395 (56.1%)	$5,889 (35.2%)	$15,284 (91.3%)	$16,733

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland Free 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	62	44	29%
African American	3	4	33.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	25	12	52%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	30	23	23.3%
Two or More Races	3	5	66.7%

Schools Near Highland Free School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				AASA English Language Arts (2024)						AASA Mathematics (2024)				AzSCI Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	AASA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	AASA English Language Arts 4th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	AzSCI Science 8th Grade	Total
Highland Free School	Public, Charter	K-6	510 S Highland Ave	Tucson	85719	Pima County	Highland Free School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 623-0104	35				14 (40.0%)	3 (8.6%)	12 (34.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (17.1%)								(n/a)
Miles-Exploratory Learning Center	Public	PK, KG-8	1400 E Broadway Blvd	Tucson	85719	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 225-2200	297	32	9.3		68 (22.9%)	11 (3.7%)	189 (63.6%)	9 (3.0%)	5 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.7%)	56.4	351^st of 912 public elementary schools	61.5%		42.8	624^th of 1245 public elementary schools	49.9%	273	54.0	55.0					46.0	38.0
Borton Primary Magnet School	Public	PK, KG-5	700 E 22nd St	Tucson	85713	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 225-1000	279	30	9.3		69 (24.7%)	14 (5.0%)	177 (63.4%)	1 (0.4%)	13 (4.7%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.4%)	46.8	428^th of 912 public elementary schools	53.1%		43.6	616^th of 1245 public elementary schools	50.5%	188		40.0	41.0						41.0		43.0
Safford K-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	200 E 13th St	Tucson	85701	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 225-3000	362	31	11.8		19 (5.2%)	37 (10.2%)	285 (78.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)								(n/a)				25.0	20.0	20.0						16.0
Roskruge Bilingual Magnet Middle School	Public	PK, KG-8	501 E 6th St	Tucson	85705	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 225-2900	576	47	12.3		47 (8.2%)	10 (1.7%)	486 (84.4%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)	19.9	699^th of 912 public elementary schools	23.4%		29	839^th of 1245 public elementary schools	32.6%	140		32.0		34.0	29.0	26.0	25.0			15.0
Robison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2745 E 18th St	Tucson	85716	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 232-7800	269	19	13.9		35 (13.0%)	13 (4.8%)	209 (77.7%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)								(n/a)
Carrillo Intermediate Magnet School	Public	PK, KG-5	440 S Main Ave	Tucson	85701	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 225-1200	298	18	16.1		45 (15.1%)	10 (3.4%)	223 (74.8%)	3 (1.0%)	11 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	82	148^th of 912 public elementary schools	83.8%		89.4	128^th of 1245 public elementary schools	89.7%	20	60.0	73.0	55.0				69.0	63.0	70.0		43.0
Drachman Primary Magnet School	Public	PK, KG-8	1085 S 10th Ave	Tucson	85701	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 225-1500	308	26	11.6		64 (20.8%)	18 (5.8%)	200 (64.9%)	3 (1.0%)	12 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.6%)								(n/a)		42.0		36.0
Ochoa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 W 25th St	Tucson	85713	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 225-2400	189	15	12.6		5 (2.6%)	3 (1.6%)	176 (93.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		42.0						59.0
Sam Hughes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	700 N Wilson Ave	Tucson	85719	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 232-7400	363	21	17.1		152 (41.9%)	9 (2.5%)	173 (47.7%)	6 (1.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.8%)	85.2	124^th of 912 public elementary schools	86.4%		90.3	114^th of 1245 public elementary schools	90.8%	10	68.0	79.0	68.0				59.0	68.0	47.0		62.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Free School

What is the racial makeup of Highland Free School?

Students at Highland Free School are 40% White, 34% Hispanic, 17% Two or more races, 9% African American.

What district is Highland Free School in?

Highland Free School

How many students attend Highland Free School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 35 students attended Highland Free 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 Arizona 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.