Is Highland School a good school?

Yes! Highland School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 22 nd of 497 Connecticut elementary schools.

How many students attend Highland School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 866 students attended Highland School.

What is the racial makeup of Highland School?

Students at Highland School are 74% White, 12% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Highland School attend?

Students who attend Highland School usually go on to attend: Middle : Dodd Middle School High : Cheshire High School

Highland School

Summary:

Highland School is an exceptional elementary school located in Cheshire, Connecticut, serving 818 students from kindergarten to 6th grade. As part of the highly-ranked Cheshire School District, Highland School consistently outperforms its peers in the region, maintaining a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranking among the top 18-32 elementary schools in the state.

Highland School's academic performance is truly outstanding, with students consistently scoring proficient or better on standardized tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, far exceeding state and district averages. The school's exceptional support for diverse learners is particularly noteworthy, as it ranks 1st out of 70 Connecticut elementary schools for low socioeconomic status students and 7th out of 371 schools for special education students. This demonstrates Highland School's commitment to ensuring equitable access to educational opportunities for all students.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Wallingford School District, Regional School District 16, and Meriden School District, Highland School consistently outperforms its peers in academic achievement, test scores, and student subgroup performance. This exceptional track record makes Highland School a standout institution within the region, offering families an exceptional educational experience for their children.

Detail:

Public K-6

490 Highland Ave.
Cheshire, CT 06410

(203) 272-0335

District: Cheshire School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
22^nd of 497 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,145

Students who attend Highland School usually attend:

Middle:	Dodd Middle School
High:	Cheshire High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 866

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.2%

Hispanic:

11.7%

Asian:

7.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 15.7%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare Highland School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Highland School ranks better than 95.6% of elementary schools in Connecticut. It also ranks first among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Cheshire School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 91.51. (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 Highland School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Cheshire School District. Racial makeup is: White (74.2%), Hispanic (11.7%), Asian (7.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 15.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland School is 14.1, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Cheshire School District! (See more...)

Compare Highland School employs 61.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highland School is $17,145, which is the 2^nd highest among 4 elementary schools in the Cheshire School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highland School:

SchoolDigger ranks Highland School 22^nd of 497 Connecticut public elementary schools. (See Highland School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Cheshire School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Cheshire School District 16^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Highland School.

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Rank History for Highland School

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Rank History for all students at Highland School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	80.16	93^rd	570	83.7%
2007	81.31	68^th	568	88.0%
2008	80.56	81^st	565	85.7%
2009	79.86	86^th	566	84.8%
2010	82.12	51^st	579	91.2%
2011	80.80	75^th	565	86.7%
2012	79.04	93^rd	564	83.5%
2013	76.83	138^th	557	75.2%
2015	82.03	111^th	551	79.9%
2016	85.31	77^th	518	85.1%
2017	88.49	39^th	519	92.5%
2018	89.92	39^th	532	92.7%
2019	89.24	43^rd	522	91.8%
2021	93.59	22^nd	538	95.9%
2022	90.66	32^nd	490	93.5%
2023	92.03	18^th	491	96.3%
2024	91.51	22^nd	497	95.6%

See the entire list of Connecticut Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highland School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	96.95	7^th	371	98.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	99.26	1^st	70	98.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Highland School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	85.75	29^th	259	88.8%
2019	86.24	23^rd	242	90.5%
2021	93.14	17^th	455	96.3%
2022	87.49	10^th	234	95.7%
2023	86.73	20^th	230	91.3%
2024	89.23	13^th	237	94.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Highland School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	86.39	27^th	262	89.7%
2019	82.49	37^th	247	85.0%
2021	90.54	31^st	445	93.0%
2022	85.24	24^th	232	89.7%
2023	89.83	12^th	231	94.8%
2024	88.18	21^st	233	91.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Highland School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	81.75	38^th	296	87.2%
2019	80.79	38^th	295	87.1%
2021	84.73	33^rd	327	89.9%
2022	78.77	39^th	252	84.5%
2023	81.74	30^th	262	88.5%
2024	83.02	28^th	250	88.8%

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

Data source: test scores: Connecticut 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: Connecticut State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Mrs. Scully and her assistant take the side of the teacher if you raise any concern with the teacher, as if your child and his problems are not important at all. They keep on saying how wonderful their teacher is, ignoring the problems you have with the teacher. They do not care for the kids at all. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Highland School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	933	3	14	4	1	n/a	n/a	955
1989	961	4	13	2	1	n/a	n/a	981
1990	972	7	18	8	n/a	n/a	n/a	1005
1991	844	8	25	7	0	n/a	n/a	884
1992	860	10	29	4	0	n/a	n/a	903
1993	836	11	33	9	0	n/a	n/a	889
1994	815	7	31	5	3	n/a	n/a	861
1995	749	6	23	5	2	n/a	n/a	785
1996	749	6	23	5	2	n/a	n/a	785
1997	772	11	25	5	1	n/a	n/a	814
1998	792	14	29	7	2	n/a	n/a	844
1999	800	13	27	10	1	n/a	n/a	851
2000	788	17	36	14	0	n/a	n/a	855
2001	779	17	30	13	0	n/a	n/a	839
2002	808	15	42	12	0	n/a	n/a	877
2003	808	15	42	12	0	n/a	n/a	877
2004	816	18	47	22	0	n/a	n/a	903
2005	807	20	54	26	0	n/a	n/a	907
2006	837	27	63	29	0	n/a	n/a	956
2007	829	12	68	23	0	n/a	n/a	932
2008	787	14	77	28	1	n/a	n/a	907
2009	750	11	79	29	0	n/a	n/a	869
2010	706	15	87	30	2	n/a	n/a	840
2011	683	14	92	35	1	0	2	827
2012	642	17	94	41	1	0	0	795
2013	620	20	96	37	1	0	2	776
2014	595	32	83	27	1	0	2	740
2015	618	29	87	27	3	0	4	768
2016	592	33	87	33	1	0	5	751
2017	569	28	80	37	1	0	7	722
2018	569	20	79	35	1	0	17	721
2019	573	19	84	48	1	0	18	743
2020	557	17	75	54	1	0	17	721
2021	571	20	75	61	0	0	19	746
2022	587	18	75	63	0	0	23	766
2023	605	17	76	92	0	0	28	818
2024	643	22	68	101	0	0	32	866

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	955	48.0	19.8	n/a
1989	981	51.0	19.2	n/a
1990	1005	58.5	17.1	n/a
1991	884	56.0	15.7	n/a
1992	903	58.9	15.3	1.9
1993	889	55.7	16.0	0.2
1994	861	59.7	14.4	4.5
1995	785	55.0	14.3	4.8
1996	785	55.0	14.3	4.8
1997	814	51.0	16.0	1.8
1998	844	52.1	16.2	1.4
1999	851	59.2	14.4	3.1
2000	855	60.4	14.2	2.7
2001	839	59.2	14.2	n/a
2002	877	58.8	14.9	3.2
2003	877	58.8	14.9	3.2
2004	903	60.0	15.1	3.2
2005	907	53.2	17.0	n/a
2006	956	52.2	18.3	3.9
2007	932	51.8	18.0	4
2008	907	59.8	15.2	4.5
2009	869	64.2	14.5	5.2
2010	840	56.5	14.8	6
2011	827	53.3	15.5	7.3
2012	795	53.4	14.8	7.5
2013	776	54.0	14.3	7.7
2014	740	52.4	14.1	6.5
2015	768	56.0	13.7	9.8
2016	751	54.0	13.9	10
2017	722	54.3	13.2	8.2
2018	721	55.6	12.9	7.5
2019	743	55.4	13.4	11.3
2020	721	53.8	13.4	14
2021	746	55.8	13.3	14.3
2022	766	54.1	14.1	12.8
2023	818	61.8	13.2	14.9
2024	866	61.2	14.1	15.7

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	955	48.0	19.8	n/a
1989	981	51.0	19.2	n/a
1990	1005	58.5	17.1	n/a
1991	884	56.0	15.7	n/a
1992	903	58.9	15.3	1.9
1993	889	55.7	16.0	0.2
1994	861	59.7	14.4	4.5
1995	785	55.0	14.3	4.8
1996	785	55.0	14.3	4.8
1997	814	51.0	16.0	1.8
1998	844	52.1	16.2	1.4
1999	851	59.2	14.4	3.1
2000	855	60.4	14.2	2.7
2001	839	59.2	14.2	n/a
2002	877	58.8	14.9	3.2
2003	877	58.8	14.9	3.2
2004	903	60.0	15.1	3.2
2005	907	53.2	17.0	n/a
2006	956	52.2	18.3	3.9
2007	932	51.8	18.0	4
2008	907	59.8	15.2	4.5
2009	869	64.2	14.5	5.2
2010	840	56.5	14.8	6
2011	827	53.3	15.5	7.3
2012	795	53.4	14.8	7.5
2013	776	54.0	14.3	7.7
2014	740	52.4	14.1	6.5
2015	768	56.0	13.7	9.8
2016	751	54.0	13.9	10
2017	722	54.3	13.2	8.2
2018	721	55.6	12.9	7.5
2019	743	55.4	13.4	11.3
2020	721	53.8	13.4	14
2021	746	55.8	13.3	14.3
2022	766	54.1	14.1	12.8
2023	818	61.8	13.2	14.9
2024	866	61.2	14.1	15.7

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 School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$15,027
2019	$15,222
2020	$16,079
2021	$16,456
2022	$17,402
2023	$17,145

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland 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 43^rd of 522 Elementary schools	Ranks 18^th of 491 Elementary schools	4.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Highland School)	85.7	84.6	1.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cheshire School District)	82.2	74.8	7.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.3	45.5	8.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Highland School)	86.7	88.9	2.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cheshire School District)	83.9	83.2	0.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	55	49.8	5.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Highland School)	76.9	73.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cheshire School District)	80.1	74.5	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.6	48.8	5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Highland School)	72.2	76.7	4.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cheshire School District)	74.2	77.2	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	52.5	48.3	4.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Highland School)	86.3	89.1	2.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Cheshire School District)	87.3	81.6	5.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	58.1	51.3	6.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Highland School)	86.3	80	6.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cheshire School District)	81.3	77.5	3.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	46.5	41.8	4.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Highland School)	81.8	76.1	5.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Cheshire School District)	83.3	75.7	7.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	55.3	48	7.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Highland School)	73.6	75.2	1.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Cheshire School District)	72.8	74.4	1.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	45.4	39.6	5.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	743	818	10.1%
African American	19	17	10.5%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	84	76	9.5%
Hispanic	48	92	91.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	573	605	5.6%
Two or More Races	18	28	55.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	11.3%	14.9%	3.6%

Schools Near Highland School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)	SBAC English Language Arts (2024)				SBAC Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	NGSS Science 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
Highland School	Public	K-6	490 Highland Ave.	Cheshire	06410	New Haven County	Cheshire School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 272-0335	866	61	14.1	15.7%	643 (74.2%)	22 (2.5%)	101 (11.7%)	68 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (3.7%)	91.5	22^nd of 497 public elementary schools	95.6%		92	18^th of 491 public elementary schools	96.3%	4	82.1	69.2	85.7	82.9	81.6	83.1	88.2	79.7		$17,145
Chapman School	Public	K-6	38 Country Club Rd.	Cheshire	06410	New Haven County	Cheshire School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 272-3591	369	27	13.7	15.7%	286 (77.5%)	10 (2.7%)	35 (9.5%)	23 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.1%)	84.2	82^nd of 497 public elementary schools	83.5%		88.9	46^th of 491 public elementary schools	90.6%	36	80.4		56.5		91.7	76.4	65.2	89.1		$16,328
Doolittle School	Public	K-6	735 Cornwall Ave.	Cheshire	06410	New Haven County	Cheshire School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 272-3549	525	38	13.9	21.0%	373 (71.0%)	24 (4.6%)	53 (10.1%)	46 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (5.3%)	84.5	80^th of 497 public elementary schools	83.9%		80.9	106^th of 491 public elementary schools	78.4%	26	74.4	69.4	74.4	75.6	66.7	71.0	81.7	79.1	60.5	$15,850
Norton School	Public	K-6	414 North Brooksvale Rd.	Cheshire	06410	New Haven County	Cheshire School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 272-7283	428	32	13.5	13.6%	323 (75.5%)	19 (4.4%)	37 (8.6%)	34 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.5%)	88.5	42^nd of 497 public elementary schools	91.5%		91.2	25^th of 491 public elementary schools	94.9%	17	75.3	69.4		85.2	78.1	69.4	80.9	81.5	75.0	$16,876
Darcey School	Public	PK-K	1686 Waterbury Rd.	Cheshire	06410	New Haven County	Cheshire School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 272-3577	145	12	12.3	17.2%	100 (69.0%)	3 (2.1%)	14 (9.7%)	17 (11.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (7.6%)								(n/a)										$30,387
Highland School	Public	PK, KG-2	200 Highland Avenue	Wallingford	06492	New Haven County	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 294-3970	315	24	12.9	29.8%	245 (77.8%)	1 (0.3%)	50 (15.9%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (4.1%)								(n/a)										$21,076
Hanover School	Public	PK, KG-5	208 Main St.	Meriden	06450	New Haven County	Meriden School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 235-6359	468	40	11.6	62.6%	105 (22.4%)	23 (4.9%)	310 (66.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.8%)	30.9	318^th of 497 public elementary schools	36.0%		32.1	321^st of 491 public elementary schools	34.6%	3	32.5	27.7	41.7	36.9		42.0	50.0	42.2		$21,017
Mary G. Fritz Elementary School of Yalesville	Public	3-5	415 Church Street	Yalesville	06492	New Haven County	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 284-6900	265	26	10.1	29.1%	195 (73.6%)	3 (1.1%)	39 (14.7%)	15 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (4.5%)	71.9	160^th of 497 public elementary schools	67.8%		73.9	147^th of 491 public elementary schools	70.1%	13	72.5	45.9	64.0	70.3		66.2	64.0	64.8		$20,683
Parker Farms School	Public	3-5	30 Parker Farms Road	Wallingford	06492	New Haven County	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 294-6200	241	26	9.4	42.7%	140 (58.1%)	4 (1.7%)	81 (33.6%)	10 (4.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.1%)	40.1	286^th of 497 public elementary schools	42.5%		36.3	292^nd of 491 public elementary schools	40.5%	6	51.7	39.0	46.5	51.7		44.2	40.7	41.6		$22,664
Cook Hill School	Public	PK, KG-2	57 Hall Road	Wallingford	06492	New Haven County	Wallingford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 284-5400	374	34	11.1	40.1%	257 (68.7%)	8 (2.1%)	79 (21.1%)	16 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.7%)								(n/a)										$21,893

Highland School

Highland School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Cheshire School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Highland School

Rank History for all students at Highland School

Rank History for Special Education students at Highland School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland School

Rank History for Female students at Highland School

Rank History for Male students at Highland School

Rank History for White students at Highland School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Highland School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Highland School

Student/Teacher Ratio Highland School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Highland School

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Highland School

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