Highlands Elementary School

Summary:

Highlands Elementary School is a public elementary school in Boise, Idaho, serving 294 students in grades PK-6. The school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with exceptional academic performance and test scores that significantly outpace the Boise Independent District and the state of Idaho.

Highlands Elementary School has maintained a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating its academic excellence. In the 2023-2024 school year, 77.5% of students were proficient or better in ISAT/Math, compared to 44.8% for the district and 42.2% for the state. Similarly, 79.1% of students were proficient or better in ISAT/English Language Arts, compared to 53.5% for the district and 53.3% for the state. However, the school has a predominantly white student population, with 89.12% of students identifying as white, which is higher than the racial diversity of nearby schools like Roosevelt Elementary School and Cynthia Mann Elementary School.

Highlands Elementary School also has a very low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at only 3.06% in the 2022-2023 school year, which is significantly lower than the nearby schools. This, combined with the school's low student-teacher ratio of 17.2, suggests that Highlands serves a relatively affluent community, which may contribute to its high academic performance. While Highlands Elementary School is an exceptional academic institution, the significant differences in academic performance and student demographics between it and the nearby schools raise concerns about educational equity and access to high-quality education for all students in the Boise Independent District.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

3434 Bogus Basin Road
Boise, ID 83702-1507

(208) 854-5050

District: Boise Independent District

SchoolDigger Rank:
6^th of 301 Idaho Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,870

Students who attend Highlands Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	North Junior High School
High:	Boise Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.2

Number of students: 294

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.1%

Two or more races:

5.4%

Hispanic:

4.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 3.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Highlands Elementary School ranks better than 98% of elementary schools in Idaho. It also ranks first among 32 ranked elementary schools in the Boise Independent District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 94.79. (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 Highlands Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Boise Independent District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highlands Elementary School is $8,870. 26 elementary schools in the Boise Independent District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Highlands Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Boise Independent District:

SchoolDigger ranks Boise Independent District 37^th of 77 Idaho school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Highlands Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2008	86.65	7^th	335	97.9%
2009	92.11	3^rd	349	99.1%
2010	89.13	2^nd	356	99.4%
2011	86.90	5^th	359	98.6%
2012	85.32	12^th	354	96.6%
2013	86.12	9^th	357	97.5%
2015	91.67	9^th	226	96.0%
2016	94.63	4^th	240	98.3%
2017	95.04	4^th	292	98.6%
2018	95.47	3^rd	254	98.8%
2019	96.46	3^rd	171	98.2%
2021	97.42	2^nd	166	98.8%
2022	95.81	4^th	188	97.9%
2023	94.55	9^th	252	96.4%
2024	94.79	6^th	301	98.0%

See the entire list of Idaho Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Highlands Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	232	232
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	251	251
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	251	251
1994	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	282	282
1995	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	281	281
1996	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	281	281
1997	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	268	268
1998	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	247	247
1999	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	265	265
2000	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	252	252
2001	216	1	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	222
2002	231	3	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	241
2003	231	3	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	241
2004	255	1	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	264
2005	241	0	4	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	251
2006	276	0	8	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	289
2007	300	6	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	309
2008	305	1	6	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	317
2009	302	2	8	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	320
2010	308	0	11	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	327
2011	286	0	9	12	1	0	8	0	316
2012	280	0	7	15	1	0	12	0	315
2013	277	0	5	11	1	0	12	0	306
2014	292	0	5	10	0	0	16	0	323
2015	324	1	5	9	1	0	16	0	356
2016	318	2	8	9	1	0	5	0	343
2017	290	3	1	6	1	0	11	0	312
2018	295	2	2	3	1	0	9	0	312
2019	280	2	1	5	1	0	8	0	297
2020	262	0	1	6	1	0	7	0	277
2021	255	0	1	12	0	0	7	0	275
2022	260	0	1	10	0	0	9	0	280
2023	262	0	3	13	0	0	16	0	294

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	232	10.0	23.2	0.4
1992	251	16.3	15.3	0.8
1993	251	16.1	15.6	2
1994	282	13.7	20.6	1.1
1995	281	14.4	19.5	0
1996	281	14.4	19.5	0
1997	268	15.7	17.1	1.5
1998	247	12.4	19.9	2
1999	265	13.3	19.9	0.8
2000	252	15.0	16.8	1.6
2001	222	14.0	15.9	3.6
2002	241	14.1	17.1	4.1
2003	241	14.1	17.1	4.1
2004	264	14.0	18.9	5.3
2005	251	13.0	19.3	4.4
2006	289	14.5	19.9	5.5
2007	309	16.9	18.3	5.2
2008	317	16.6	19.1	3.2
2009	320	17.2	18.5	2.5
2010	327	17.5	18.5	4.9
2011	316	19.6	16.1	6.3
2012	315	18.6	16.9	8.3
2013	306	17.5	17.4	7.2
2014	323	16.3	19.7	6.2
2015	356	18.0	19.7	7.6
2016	343	18.0	19.0	5.2
2017	312	17.2	18.1	3.2
2018	312	16.9	18.4	2.2
2019	297	16.4	18.1	1
2020	277	16.3	16.9	1.8
2021	275	17.3	15.8	3.3
2022	280	16.8	16.6	1.8
2023	294	17.0	17.2	3.1

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	232	10.0	23.2	0.4
1992	251	16.3	15.3	0.8
1993	251	16.1	15.6	2
1994	282	13.7	20.6	1.1
1995	281	14.4	19.5	0
1996	281	14.4	19.5	0
1997	268	15.7	17.1	1.5
1998	247	12.4	19.9	2
1999	265	13.3	19.9	0.8
2000	252	15.0	16.8	1.6
2001	222	14.0	15.9	3.6
2002	241	14.1	17.1	4.1
2003	241	14.1	17.1	4.1
2004	264	14.0	18.9	5.3
2005	251	13.0	19.3	4.4
2006	289	14.5	19.9	5.5
2007	309	16.9	18.3	5.2
2008	317	16.6	19.1	3.2
2009	320	17.2	18.5	2.5
2010	327	17.5	18.5	4.9
2011	316	19.6	16.1	6.3
2012	315	18.6	16.9	8.3
2013	306	17.5	17.4	7.2
2014	323	16.3	19.7	6.2
2015	356	18.0	19.7	7.6
2016	343	18.0	19.0	5.2
2017	312	17.2	18.1	3.2
2018	312	16.9	18.4	2.2
2019	297	16.4	18.1	1
2020	277	16.3	16.9	1.8
2021	275	17.3	15.8	3.3
2022	280	16.8	16.6	1.8
2023	294	17.0	17.2	3.1

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 Highlands Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$369 (4.2%)	$8,501 (95.8%)	$8,870

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highlands 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 3^rd of 171 Elementary schools	Ranks 9^th of 252 Elementary schools	1.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Highlands Elementary School)	80.5	84.1	3.6%
3rd Grade Math (Boise Independent District)	54.6	53.3	1.3%
3rd Grade Math (Idaho)	53	51.1	1.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Highlands Elementary School)	80.5	71	9.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)	55.6	50.2	5.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	50.5	45.2	5.3%
4th Grade Math (Highlands Elementary School)	77.4	87	9.6%
4th Grade Math (Boise Independent District)	50.8	48.8	2%
4th Grade Math (Idaho)	49.9	47.2	2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Highlands Elementary School)	86.8	87	0.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)	55.6	51.7	3.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	52	48.4	3.6%
5th Grade Math (Highlands Elementary School)	76.3	80	3.7%
5th Grade Math (Boise Independent District)	43	41.5	1.5%
5th Grade Math (Idaho)	44.9	41.5	3.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Highlands Elementary School)	81.6	72.5	9.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)	57.5	53.4	4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	56.9	51.7	5.2%
6th Grade Math (Highlands Elementary School)	69.7	77.8	8.1%
6th Grade Math (Boise Independent District)	44.2	49.3	5.1%
6th Grade Math (Idaho)	43	40.7	2.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Highlands Elementary School)	83.4	68.4	15%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)	59.7	55.1	4.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	55.3	50	5.3%
All Grades Math (Highlands Elementary School)	75.3	77.3	2%
All Grades Math (Boise Independent District)	46.5	45.5	1%
All Grades Math (Idaho)	44.4	41.5	2.9%
All Grades English Language Arts (Highlands Elementary School)	83.3	74.5	8.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)	57.3	55.5	1.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Idaho)	55	52.2	2.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	297	294	1%
African American	2	0	100%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	1	3	200%
Hispanic	5	13	160%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	280	262	6.4%
Two or More Races	8	16	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	1%	3.1%	2.1%

Schools Near Highlands Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISAT Math (2024)							ISAT Science (2024)	ISAT English Language Arts (2024)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	ISAT Math 3rd Grade	ISAT Math 4th Grade	ISAT Math 5th Grade	ISAT Math 6th Grade	ISAT Math 7th Grade	ISAT Math 8th Grade	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science All Grades	ISAT English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highlands Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3434 Bogus Basin Road	Boise	83702	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-5050	294	17	17.2	3.1%	262 (89.1%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.4%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.4%)	94.8	6^th of 301 public elementary schools	98.0%		94.6	9^th of 252 public elementary schools	96.4%	3	79.5	74.5	73.1	84.6			77.5	76.9	76.3	72.1	82.6	84.7			79.1	$8,870	$369	$8,501
Washington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1607 North 15th Street	Boise	83702	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-6420	260	15	16.9	8.5%	219 (84.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	13 (5.0%)	91.9	21^st of 301 public elementary schools	93.0%		93.9	12^th of 252 public elementary schools	95.2%	9	71.0		69.7				69.1				88.4	77.5			74.4	$9,432	$564	$8,868
Longfellow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1511 North 9th Street	Boise	83702	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-5450	255	17	15.4	8.2%	207 (81.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.2%)	8 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	13 (5.1%)	82.6	51^st of 301 public elementary schools	83.1%		90.9	26^th of 252 public elementary schools	89.7%	25		73.3	51.3				69.1	51.2		75.5	66.7				75.0	$8,983	$449	$8,534
Lowell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1507 North 28th Street	Boise	83703	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-5480	295	20	15.1	24.1%	237 (80.3%)	9 (3.1%)	31 (10.5%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	58.8	115^th of 301 public elementary schools	61.8%		56.2	106^th of 252 public elementary schools	57.9%	9	60.8	50.0	38.6	45.7			49.1		63.1	43.7	54.5	80.0			58.9	$9,865	$828	$9,037
Taft Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3722 Anderson Street	Boise	83703	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 854-6181	270	19	14.0	99.3%	138 (51.1%)	54 (20.0%)	32 (11.9%)	29 (10.7%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.5%)	11 (4.1%)	4.2	296^th of 301 public elementary schools	1.7%		13	225^th of 252 public elementary schools	10.7%	71		11.6		13.9			15.2	15.0	29.7	13.1	22.5	25.7			22.7	$12,390	$2,517	$9,873
Whittier Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	301 North 29th Street	Boise	83702	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 854-6630	572	33	17.3	98.8%	258 (45.1%)	68 (11.9%)	207 (36.2%)	16 (2.8%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	17 (3.0%)	21.2	237^th of 301 public elementary schools	21.3%		27.7	183^rd of 252 public elementary schools	27.4%	54	45.2	35.4	22.9	16.4			30.1		45.7	41.9	35.6	39.7			40.6	$9,813	$1,743	$8,071
Collister Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4426 Catalpa Drive	Boise	83703	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-4650	261	16	16.3	6.5%	188 (72.0%)	2 (0.8%)	21 (8.0%)	37 (14.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.2%)	92.3	20^th of 301 public elementary schools	93.4%		95.6	5^th of 252 public elementary schools	98.0%	15		74.5		78.5			69.2	70.8	70.2	76.7	70.8	88.1			76.3	$10,048	$595	$9,452
Future Public School	Public, Charter	K-6	511 East 43rd Street	Garden City	83714	Ada County	Future Public School Inc.	Yes	No	No	Yes	(208) 854-3923	410	22	18.6	42.2%	257 (62.7%)	45 (11.0%)	62 (15.1%)	15 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	29 (7.1%)	64.1	103^rd of 301 public elementary schools	65.8%					(n/a)	57.3	48.2	40.0	42.8			48.4	45.0	63.9	62.3	67.5	71.5			65.6	$10,556	$1,824	$8,732
Roosevelt Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	908 East Jefferson Street	Boise	83712	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-6030	283	17	17.1	12.0%	232 (82.0%)	8 (2.8%)	22 (7.8%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.4%)	89.9	31^st of 301 public elementary schools	89.7%		92.2	21^st of 252 public elementary schools	91.7%	10							66.3				74.4	82.2			70.6	$9,132	$686	$8,445
Anser Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	202 East 42nd Street	Garden City	83714	Ada County	Anser Of Idaho Inc.	Yes	No	No	Yes	(208) 426-9840	502	37	13.7	20.9%	417 (83.1%)	2 (0.4%)	52 (10.4%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.8%)	52.9	136^th of 301 public elementary schools	54.8%					(n/a)	39.7	50.0	58.4	32.8	42.3	42.0	44.3	60.9	47.6	45.7	69.5	55.2	55.8	60.0	55.5

Frequently Asked Questions about Highlands Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Highlands Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Highlands Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : North Junior High School
High : Boise Senior High School

Is Highlands Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Highlands Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 6^th of 301 Idaho elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Highlands Elementary School?

Students at Highlands Elementary School are 89% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

What district is Highlands Elementary School in?

Boise Independent District

How many students attend Highlands Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 294 students attended Highlands Elementary School.

Rate Highlands 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 Idaho 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.