Is Highlands Elementary a good school?

Highlands Elementary ranks 1544 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Highlands Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 561 students attended Highlands Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Highlands Elementary?

Students at Highlands Elementary are 56% Hispanic, 30% White, 6% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Highlands Elementary attend?

Students who attend Highlands Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Arroyo Seco Junior High High : Academy of the Canyons High : Saugus High

Highlands Elementary

Summary:

Highlands Elementary is a public elementary school in Saugus, California, serving 561 students in grades K-6 and part of the Saugus Union School District.

Academically, Highlands Elementary has lower proficiency rates compared to the district and state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 48.15% of 6th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 67.48% for the district. The school also has a higher rate of chronic absenteeism at 12.1%, versus 9.1% at North Park Elementary and 8.2% at Charles Helmers Elementary. However, Highlands Elementary has shown strengths in the performance of Hispanic students and English Language Learners.

Highlands Elementary is located near several higher-performing elementary schools within the Saugus Union district, such as Bridgeport Elementary and Emblem Academy, which consistently outperform Highlands. Additionally, the school has a higher percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, which may contribute to its lower academic performance. Despite these challenges, Highlands Elementary has shown potential for improvement, with its ranking among California elementary schools rising from 2962 in 2018-2019 to 1544 in 2023-2024, and its overall SchoolDigger rating increasing from 2 stars to 4 stars during this period.

Detail:

Public K-6

27332 Catala Ave.
Saugus, CA 91350-2146

(661) 294-5320

District: Saugus Union

SchoolDigger Rank:
1544^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,166

Students who attend Highlands Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Arroyo Seco Junior High
High:	Academy of the Canyons
	Saugus High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.3

Number of students: 561

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

55.6%

White:

30.3%

Asian:

6.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 22.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Highlands Elementary ranks better than 73.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 11^th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Saugus Union School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.01. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (55.6%), White (30.3%), Asian (6.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 22.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary is 23.3, which is the lowest among 15 elementary schools in the Saugus Union School District! (See more...)

Compare Highlands Elementary employs 24 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highlands Elementary is $10,166, which is the 4^th highest among 15 elementary schools in the Saugus Union School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highlands Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands Elementary 1544^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Highlands Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Saugus Union:

SchoolDigger ranks Saugus Union 221^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Highlands Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	88.59	565^th	4809	88.3%
2005	83.95	772^nd	4822	84.0%
2006	83.67	796^th	4818	83.5%
2007	79.65	982^nd	5113	80.8%
2008	74.35	1224^th	5113	76.1%
2009	69.48	1463^rd	5193	71.8%
2010	57.57	2135^th	5314	59.8%
2011	64.91	1751^st	5377	67.4%
2012	71.89	1421^st	5390	73.6%
2013	66.64	1739^th	5530	68.6%
2015	56.46	2102^nd	5611	62.5%
2016	54.59	2263^rd	5614	59.7%
2017	49.48	2579^th	5692	54.7%
2018	52.74	2401^st	5662	57.6%
2019	43.82	2962^nd	5789	48.8%
2022	79.95	1189^th	5883	79.8%
2023	65.85	1763^rd	5874	70.0%
2024	71.01	1544^th	5862	73.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	81.50	278^th	3311	91.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	53.50	813^th	2420	66.4%
2024	66.04	585^th	2634	77.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	44.66	2697^th	5084	47.0%
2019	32.78	3660^th	5173	29.2%
2022	78.80	802^nd	5264	84.8%
2023	62.64	1589^th	5374	70.4%
2024	78.55	899^th	5511	83.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.33	2420^th	5413	55.3%
2019	53.88	2282^nd	5492	58.4%
2022	80.78	1076^th	5635	80.9%
2023	69.68	1513^th	5617	73.1%
2024	73.35	1339^th	5605	76.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	52.91	719^th	2128	66.2%
2019	42.86	1197^th	2585	53.7%
2022	64.23	511^th	2227	77.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	52.06	2332^nd	5431	57.1%
2019	37.76	3211^th	5510	41.7%
2022	76.64	1258^th	5663	77.8%
2023	59.73	1962^nd	5650	65.3%
2024	65.94	1704^th	5636	69.8%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	76.82	233^rd	1154	79.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	54.64	1920^th	4830	60.2%
2019	42.70	2775^th	4963	44.1%
2022	80.16	724^th	5084	85.8%
2023	70.73	1149^th	5098	77.5%
2024	67.75	1286^th	5102	74.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	37.78	1875^th	2737	31.5%
2019	28.47	2188^th	2834	22.8%
2022	47.63	1537^th	2726	43.6%
2023	44.56	1584^th	2662	40.5%
2024	61.11	1091^st	2647	58.8%

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

Data source: test scores: California 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: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Highlands Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	613	10	22	59	2	n/a	n/a	0	706
1989	653	4	44	40	3	n/a	n/a	0	744
1990	535	7	31	54	8	n/a	n/a	0	635
1991	569	6	33	61	9	n/a	n/a	0	678
1992	488	7	65	57	5	n/a	n/a	0	622
1993	492	4	44	80	0	n/a	n/a	0	620
1994	505	6	53	77	0	n/a	n/a	0	641
1995	533	15	55	87	0	n/a	n/a	0	690
1996	533	15	55	87	0	n/a	n/a	0	690
1997	552	18	58	77	0	n/a	n/a	0	705
1998	580	17	49	88	0	n/a	n/a	0	734
1999	578	16	46	98	0	n/a	n/a	0	738
2000	574	15	44	91	0	n/a	n/a	0	724
2001	583	17	44	94	0	n/a	n/a	0	738
2002	562	13	36	114	0	n/a	n/a	0	725
2003	562	13	36	114	0	n/a	n/a	0	725
2004	515	11	40	119	1	n/a	n/a	0	686
2005	463	15	42	113	3	n/a	n/a	0	636
2006	479	19	54	150	1	n/a	n/a	0	703
2007	428	18	48	165	1	n/a	n/a	6	666
2008	403	13	52	151	1	n/a	n/a	0	620
2009	408	13	39	161	1	1	13	0	636
2010	375	12	46	166	1	1	8	0	609
2011	316	13	29	176	1	1	14	0	550
2012	291	17	32	167	3	0	9	0	519
2013	241	12	30	159	1	0	7	0	450
2014	257	10	31	190	0	1	11	0	500
2015	241	12	31	187	0	0	9	0	480
2016	209	10	27	172	2	0	10	0	430
2017	174	7	22	164	2	0	11	0	380
2018	185	6	22	140	2	0	8	0	363
2019	167	2	20	152	2	0	9	0	352
2020	179	5	14	165	2	0	12	0	377
2021	997	104	802	1134	4	6	183	0	3230
2022	291	22	184	377	3	1	46	0	924
2023	170	17	36	312	0	0	26	0	561

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 Highlands Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	706	26.0	27.1	n/a
1989	744	28.0	26.5	n/a
1990	635	24.0	26.4	n/a
1991	678	25.0	27.1	n/a
1992	622	25.4	24.4	4.8
1993	620	23.0	27.0	4.2
1994	641	24.0	26.7	6.9
1995	690	25.0	27.6	7.5
1996	690	25.0	27.6	7.5
1997	705	28.0	25.2	4.8
1998	734	32.0	22.9	10.6
1999	738	35.0	21.1	10
2000	724	33.0	21.9	8.3
2001	738	33.0	22.4	7.3
2002	725	32.3	22.4	5.2
2003	725	32.3	22.4	5.2
2004	686	31.1	22.1	7
2005	636	29.1	21.9	6.4
2006	703	35.7	19.7	9.4
2007	666	36.0	18.5	12.9
2008	620	36.8	16.8	11.3
2009	636	32.0	17.2	13.1
2010	609	29.0	21.0	19.5
2011	550	n/a	n/a	20
2012	519	23.0	22.5	n/a
2013	450	17.0	26.4	27.8
2014	500	19.0	26.3	27.6
2015	480	19.0	25.2	29.6
2016	430	18.0	23.8	26.7
2017	380	16.0	23.7	34.2
2018	363	16.0	22.6	36.6
2019	352	16.0	22.0	32.7
2020	377	n/a	n/a	27.6
2021	3230	118.0	27.3	23.9
2022	924	37.0	24.9	25.2
2023	561	24.0	23.3	22.5

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 Highlands Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	706	26.0	27.1	n/a
1989	744	28.0	26.5	n/a
1990	635	24.0	26.4	n/a
1991	678	25.0	27.1	n/a
1992	622	25.4	24.4	4.8
1993	620	23.0	27.0	4.2
1994	641	24.0	26.7	6.9
1995	690	25.0	27.6	7.5
1996	690	25.0	27.6	7.5
1997	705	28.0	25.2	4.8
1998	734	32.0	22.9	10.6
1999	738	35.0	21.1	10
2000	724	33.0	21.9	8.3
2001	738	33.0	22.4	7.3
2002	725	32.3	22.4	5.2
2003	725	32.3	22.4	5.2
2004	686	31.1	22.1	7
2005	636	29.1	21.9	6.4
2006	703	35.7	19.7	9.4
2007	666	36.0	18.5	12.9
2008	620	36.8	16.8	11.3
2009	636	32.0	17.2	13.1
2010	609	29.0	21.0	19.5
2011	550	n/a	n/a	20
2012	519	23.0	22.5	n/a
2013	450	17.0	26.4	27.8
2014	500	19.0	26.3	27.6
2015	480	19.0	25.2	29.6
2016	430	18.0	23.8	26.7
2017	380	16.0	23.7	34.2
2018	363	16.0	22.6	36.6
2019	352	16.0	22.0	32.7
2020	377	n/a	n/a	27.6
2021	3230	118.0	27.3	23.9
2022	924	37.0	24.9	25.2
2023	561	24.0	23.3	22.5

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.

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