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Highland Elementary

Summary:

Highland Elementary is a public elementary school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 744 students. This school stands out as a high-performing institution within the Las Cruces school district, which is ranked 63 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highland Elementary consistently ranks in the top 25% of New Mexico elementary schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger in recent years. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are significantly higher than the district and state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, 47% of Highland Elementary students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 39% in the district and state. The school's performance is particularly strong in Science, with 55% of students proficient or better in 2023-2024, compared to 38% in the district and 36% statewide. Highland Elementary also performs well across various student subgroups, including female students, male students, Hispanic students, and White students, consistently ranking in the top 25% of New Mexico elementary schools for these groups.

Highland Elementary outperforms most of the nearby schools in the Las Cruces district, including Booker T. Washington, Dona Ana Elementary, Cesar Chavez Elementary, and Sunrise Elementary, in terms of academic proficiency rates and statewide rankings. The only nearby school that appears to be on par with Highland Elementary is Sonoma Elementary, which is located just 0.52 miles away and has similar academic performance and statewide rankings.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 4201 Emerald St
       Las Cruces, NM  88012

(575) 527-9636

District: Las Cruces

SchoolDigger Rank:
100th of 433 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,078 Help


Students who attend Highland Elementary usually attend:

High:    Arrowhead Park Early College High School
    Organ Mountain High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.5 Help
Number of students:  744

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
72.0%
White:
22.4%
African American:
2.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Highland Elementary ranks better than 76.9% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 5th among 24 ranked elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 73.83. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (72%), White (22.4%), African American (2.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland Elementary is 16.5, which is the highest among 25 elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Highland Elementary employs 45 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highland Elementary is $8,078, which is the lowest among 25 elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highland Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Highland Elementary 100th of 433 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Highland Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Las Cruces:

SchoolDigger ranks Las Cruces 63rd of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Highland Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Highland Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 73.90 80th 389 79.4%
2006 77.73 67th 390 82.8%
2007 75.91 67th 398 83.2%
2008 68.39 99th 405 75.6%
2009 72.64 89th 411 78.3%
2010 70.84 98th 419 76.6%
2011 56.45 152nd 402 62.2%
2012 75.12 77th 398 80.7%
2013 76.24 83rd 412 79.9%
2014 72.40 94th 442 78.7%
2015 50.01 172nd 421 59.1%
2016 66.54 102nd 410 75.1%
2017 72.11 76th 374 79.7%
2018 68.11 97th 383 74.7%
2019 59.09 134th 396 66.2%
2022 64.04 110th 420 73.8%
2023 71.97 112th 435 74.3%
2024 73.83 100th 433 76.9%
See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Highland Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 50.94 87th 203 57.1%
2023 72.36 51st 191 73.3%
2024 54.85 77th 166 53.6%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highland Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 15.74 47th 47 0.0%
2023 37.25 121st 165 26.7%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.00 139th 356 61.0%
2019 49.32 169th 361 53.2%
2022 74.70 42nd 410 89.8%
2023 82.89 65th 426 84.7%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Highland Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 57.77 13th 36 63.9%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highland Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.54 82nd 339 75.8%
2019 55.16 126th 343 63.3%
2022 49.66 136th 395 65.6%
2023 69.88 107th 390 72.6%
2024 75.25 90th 393 77.1%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highland Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.75 104th 333 68.8%
2019 51.79 142nd 337 57.9%
2022 66.41 78th 392 80.1%
2023 66.82 125th 414 69.8%
2024 67.98 126th 410 69.3%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highland Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.65 87th 329 73.6%
2019 52.19 135th 320 57.8%
2022 60.85 92nd 389 76.3%
2023 69.70 101st 395 74.4%
2024 74.72 83rd 390 78.7%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Highland Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 58.24 76th 187 59.4%
2019 50.61 101st 199 49.2%
2022 57.92 116th 325 64.3%
2023 69.89 109th 413 73.6%
2024 68.40 87th 293 70.3%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: New Mexico Public Education Department, 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 Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: New Mexico Public Education Department

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Enrollment information for Highland Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1990 249 9 0 289 2 n/a n/a 0 549
1991 240 9 0 349 1 n/a n/a 0 599
1992 247 6 0 331 1 n/a n/a 0 585
1993 276 13 0 365 1 n/a n/a 0 655
1994 290 14 2 432 2 n/a n/a 0 740
1995 274 12 1 414 2 n/a n/a 0 703
1996 274 12 1 414 2 n/a n/a 0 703
1997 253 8 1 432 5 n/a n/a 0 699
1998 258 7 6 488 1 n/a n/a 0 760
1999 262 10 4 506 1 n/a n/a 0 783
2000 212 5 2 331 1 n/a n/a 0 551
2001 214 9 1 328 3 n/a n/a 0 555
2002 207 15 1 355 6 n/a n/a 0 584
2003 207 15 1 355 6 n/a n/a 0 584
2004 218 21 2 382 8 n/a n/a 0 631
2005 218 19 3 422 8 n/a n/a 0 670
2006 216 29 4 493 5 n/a n/a 0 747
2007 216 25 3 411 4 n/a n/a 0 659
2008 216 30 3 432 6 n/a n/a 0 687
2009 246 33 16 473 4 n/a n/a 0 772
2010 249 31 17 507 6 0 0 0 810
2011 226 25 18 417 7 0 3 0 696
2012 205 25 20 462 7 1 4 0 724
2013 214 28 15 484 6 3 4 0 754
2014 196 20 8 513 6 7 6 0 756
2015 197 19 5 566 9 10 10 0 816
2016 180 15 3 579 4 8 10 0 799
2017 191 22 5 564 4 9 0 0 795
2018 183 8 5 611 2 9 8 0 826
2019 190 12 7 608 4 9 9 0 839
2020 182 14 6 615 9 4 10 0 840
2021 143 14 9 557 6 1 13 0 743
2022 169 15 9 567 6 1 9 0 776
2023 167 16 9 536 7 0 9 0 744

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 Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 549 30.7 17.8 n/a
1991 599 31.8 18.8 n/a
1992 585 33.5 17.4 n/a
1993 655 35.0 18.7 n/a
1994 740 41.2 18.0 n/a
1995 703 40.3 17.4 n/a
1996 703 40.3 17.4 n/a
1997 699 45.3 15.4 n/a
1998 760 46.0 16.5 n/a
1999 783 47.8 16.4 48.7
2000 551 38.2 14.4 50.5
2001 555 36.5 15.2 53.7
2002 584 39.0 15.0 62.5
2003 584 39.0 15.0 62.5
2004 631 45.6 13.8 61.2
2005 670 42.2 15.9 58.1
2006 747 48.1 15.5 53.1
2007 659 47.1 14.0 51.3
2008 687 43.0 16.0 49.9
2009 772 44.0 17.5 51.6
2010 810 47.0 17.2 51.7
2011 696 40.3 17.2 47
2012 724 40.6 17.8 48.9
2013 754 44.1 17.0 52
2014 756 46.9 16.1 54.2
2015 816 47.0 17.3 51.1
2016 799 49.0 16.3 54.7
2017 795 46.3 17.1 48.8
2018 826 47.4 17.4 55
2019 839 51.9 16.1 53.9
2020 840 50.7 16.5 43
2021 743 48.7 15.2 100
2022 776 46.7 16.5 100
2023 744 45.0 16.5 100

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 Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 549 30.7 17.8 n/a
1991 599 31.8 18.8 n/a
1992 585 33.5 17.4 n/a
1993 655 35.0 18.7 n/a
1994 740 41.2 18.0 n/a
1995 703 40.3 17.4 n/a
1996 703 40.3 17.4 n/a
1997 699 45.3 15.4 n/a
1998 760 46.0 16.5 n/a
1999 783 47.8 16.4 48.7
2000 551 38.2 14.4 50.5
2001 555 36.5 15.2 53.7
2002 584 39.0 15.0 62.5
2003 584 39.0 15.0 62.5
2004 631 45.6 13.8 61.2
2005 670 42.2 15.9 58.1
2006 747 48.1 15.5 53.1
2007 659 47.1 14.0 51.3
2008 687 43.0 16.0 49.9
2009 772 44.0 17.5 51.6
2010 810 47.0 17.2 51.7
2011 696 40.3 17.2 47
2012 724 40.6 17.8 48.9
2013 754 44.1 17.0 52
2014 756 46.9 16.1 54.2
2015 816 47.0 17.3 51.1
2016 799 49.0 16.3 54.7
2017 795 46.3 17.1 48.8
2018 826 47.4 17.4 55
2019 839 51.9 16.1 53.9
2020 840 50.7 16.5 43
2021 743 48.7 15.2 100
2022 776 46.7 16.5 100
2023 744 45.0 16.5 100

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 Elementary

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $8,078

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland Elementary

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 134th of 396 Elementary schoolsRanks 112th of 435 Elementary schools
 8.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (Highland Elementary)2844.3
 16.3%
   3rd Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)2931.3
 2.3%
   3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3031.8
 1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Highland Elementary)4033.6
 6.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)2821.3
 6.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)3222.5
 9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (Highland Elementary)4239.3
 2.7%
   4th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)2837
 9%
   4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3035.2
 5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Highland Elementary)3729.5
 7.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)2724.6
 2.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)2724.5
 2.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (Highland Elementary)3441.6
 7.6%
   5th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)3339.4
 6.4%
   5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3335.7
 2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Highland Elementary)3140.2
 9.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)2431.7
 7.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)2430.7
 6.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students839744
 11.3%
African American1216
 33.3%
American Indian47
 75%
Asian79
 28.6%
Hispanic608536
 11.8%
Pacific Islander90
 100%
White190167
 12.1%
Two or More Races99
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients53.9%100%
 46.1%

Schools Near Highland Elementary








Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Elementary

Highland Elementary ranks 100th of 433 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 744 students attended Highland Elementary.

Students who attend Highland Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Arrowhead Park Early College High School
High : Organ Mountain High School

Students at Highland Elementary are 72% Hispanic, 22% White, 2% African American, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more races.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Mexico Public Education Department.

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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