Is Highlands Elementary School a good school?

Highlands Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.1% of Washington elementary schools.

How many students attend Highlands Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 403 students attended Highlands Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Highlands Elementary School?

Students at Highlands Elementary School are 55% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 12% Two or more races, 11% African American, 9% White.

What schools do graduates of Highlands Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Highlands Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : McKnight Middle School High : Renton Senior High School

Highlands Elementary School

Summary:

Highlands Elementary School is a public elementary school in Renton, Washington, serving 462 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school faces significant academic challenges, consistently underperforming compared to the Renton School District and the state of Washington in both English Language Arts and Math proficiency.

Highlands Elementary has a notably higher percentage of Hispanic students (55.84%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 14.53% to 34.79% Hispanic students. This diversity is an important factor, as the school struggles to support certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic, English Language Learner, and Low Socioeconomic Status students, who consistently rank in the bottom 25% of Washington elementary schools. The school has been ranked in the bottom 10% of Washington elementary schools for the past several years, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as Kennydale Elementary, Maplewood Heights Elementary, and Sartori Elementary, significantly outperform Highlands Elementary in academic proficiency, school rankings, and student subgroup performance. For example, Maplewood Heights Elementary has 72.68% of students proficient in Math, compared to only 27.04% at Highlands. Despite increased spending per student, from $12,479 in 2019-2020 to $21,818 in 2021-2022, Highlands Elementary has not seen improved academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-5

2720 NE 7th St
Renton, WA 98056-3714

(425) 204-4600

District: Renton School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1073^rd of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,818

Students who attend Highlands Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	McKnight Middle School
High:	Renton Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.2

Number of students: 403

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

54.8%

Asian:

12.2%

Two or more races:

12.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 71%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Highlands Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Highlands Elementary School ranks worse than 91.9% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 14^th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Renton School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.73. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Highlands Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (54.8%), Asian (12.2%), two or more races (12.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 71% 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 School is 15.2, which is the 7^th best among 15 elementary schools in the Renton School District. (See more...)

Compare Highlands Elementary School employs 26.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highlands Elementary School is $21,818, which is the 4^th highest among 15 elementary schools in the Renton School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highlands Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands Elementary School 1073^rd of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Highlands Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

Renton School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Renton School District 139^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Highlands Elementary School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Highlands Elementary School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Highlands Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	16.49	906^th	1026	11.7%
2005	18.85	883^rd	1031	14.4%
2006	12.75	980^th	1051	6.8%
2007	11.71	999^th	1069	6.5%
2008	9.64	1011^th	1067	5.2%
2009	14.11	980^th	1072	8.6%
2010	13.15	1012^th	1088	7.0%
2011	21.26	939^th	1092	14.0%
2012	24.01	918^th	1097	16.3%
2013	36.60	748^th	1106	32.4%
2015	19.66	905^th	1067	15.2%
2016	22.76	861^st	1053	18.2%
2017	16.75	921^st	1056	12.8%
2018	15.08	937^th	1054	11.1%
2019	20.51	926^th	1130	18.1%
2021	12.48	1011^th	1107	8.7%
2022	13.93	1046^th	1169	10.5%
2023	9.37	1113^th	1169	4.8%
2024	12.73	1073^rd	1168	8.1%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Highlands Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	36.03	226^th	333	32.1%
2019	47.08	106^th	248	57.3%
2023	15.18	237^th	254	6.7%
2024	19.23	283^rd	320	11.6%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Highlands Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	43.07	342^nd	637	46.3%
2019	20.81	500^th	566	11.7%
2022	27.87	368^th	478	23.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highlands Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	18.78	760^th	835	9.0%
2019	22.94	840^th	979	14.2%
2021	8.67	841^st	854	1.5%
2022	17.67	925^th	1019	9.2%
2023	11.69	968^th	1013	4.4%
2024	16.20	936^th	1024	8.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Highlands Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	19.24	849^th	1004	15.4%
2019	17.66	927^th	1068	13.2%
2021	14.20	920^th	1008	8.7%
2022	16.72	964^th	1100	12.4%
2023	9.17	1048^th	1094	4.2%
2024	16.50	957^th	1093	12.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Highlands Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	14.76	905^th	999	9.4%
2019	26.38	835^th	1075	22.3%
2021	9.95	975^th	1025	4.9%
2022	16.11	978^th	1113	12.1%
2023	10.23	1044^th	1099	5.0%
2024	11.19	1028^th	1099	6.5%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Highlands Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	19.83	150^th	169	11.2%
2019	56.48	88^th	201	56.2%
2022	47.92	108^th	187	42.2%
2024	24.88	123^rd	163	24.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Highlands Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	44.98	53^rd	108	50.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highlands Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	13.33	519^th	540	3.9%
2019	23.90	582^nd	697	16.5%
2021	19.04	446^th	501	11.0%
2022	15.39	663^rd	694	4.5%
2023	8.21	622^nd	633	1.7%
2024	13.30	609^th	651	6.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Highlands Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	52.30	413^th	833	50.4%
2019	44.86	609^th	1027	40.7%
2022	25.55	821^st	1031	20.4%

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

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, 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: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Highlands Elementary School.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Highlands Elementary School, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Highlands Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	493	59	21	19	24	n/a	n/a	0	616
1989	497	55	25	21	20	n/a	n/a	0	618
1990	476	48	28	25	19	n/a	n/a	0	596
1991	470	45	30	16	20	n/a	n/a	0	581
1992	467	52	45	18	18	n/a	n/a	0	600
1993	412	65	45	20	27	n/a	n/a	0	569
1994	399	78	42	26	20	n/a	n/a	0	565
1995	380	82	59	35	20	n/a	n/a	0	576
1996	380	82	59	35	20	n/a	n/a	0	576
1997	377	73	60	32	19	n/a	n/a	0	561
1998	302	70	47	31	14	n/a	n/a	0	464
1999	326	62	59	38	17	n/a	n/a	0	502
2000	291	77	70	51	15	n/a	n/a	0	504
2001	273	72	81	116	9	n/a	n/a	0	551
2002	223	67	97	159	6	n/a	n/a	0	552
2003	223	67	97	159	6	n/a	n/a	0	552
2004	239	91	107	190	10	n/a	n/a	0	637
2005	221	73	114	230	6	n/a	n/a	0	644
2006	189	74	101	242	4	n/a	n/a	0	610
2007	151	73	104	252	5	n/a	n/a	0	585
2008	122	72	101	271	5	n/a	n/a	0	571
2009	121	65	96	274	3	n/a	n/a	0	559
2010	119	76	101	289	6	n/a	n/a	4	595
2011	126	78	103	318	3	0	36	0	664
2012	102	56	79	274	1	1	40	0	553
2013	91	35	103	207	1	6	43	0	486
2014	92	45	107	245	2	4	47	0	542
2015	93	46	97	259	0	4	42	0	541
2016	97	58	107	270	1	5	40	0	578
2017	86	56	102	280	2	3	43	0	572
2018	72	44	97	242	2	3	54	0	514
2019	68	39	87	232	2	1	39	0	468
2020	68	44	74	247	3	5	56	0	497
2021	51	43	66	260	2	3	51	4	480
2022	56	56	50	235	1	4	48	0	450
2023	40	55	48	258	1	3	57	0	462
2024	35	46	49	221	1	2	49	0	403

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
1988	616	24.0	25.6	0
1989	618	25.0	24.7	n/a
1990	596	25.0	23.8	0
1991	581	25.0	23.2	n/a
1992	600	28.0	21.4	n/a
1993	569	24.0	23.7	n/a
1994	565	26.1	21.6	n/a
1995	576	25.4	22.7	n/a
1996	576	25.4	22.7	n/a
1997	561	25.9	21.7	n/a
1998	464	19.8	23.4	n/a
1999	502	22.8	22.0	n/a
2000	504	23.9	21.1	n/a
2001	551	21.5	25.6	n/a
2002	552	26.5	20.8	50.9
2003	552	26.5	20.8	50.9
2004	637	27.0	23.6	60.9
2005	644	27.3	23.6	62.4
2006	610	30.8	19.8	62.5
2007	585	33.1	17.7	63.2
2008	571	29.9	19.1	63.4
2009	559	29.9	18.7	69.2
2010	595	28.7	20.6	74.1
2011	664	28.5	23.2	66.7
2012	553	28.3	19.5	69.1
2013	486	25.1	19.3	68.5
2014	542	n/a	n/a	69.9
2015	541	34.0	15.9	73
2016	578	33.0	17.5	69.6
2017	572	33.0	17.3	69.6
2018	514	33.3	15.4	66.7
2019	468	29.4	15.8	65.8
2020	497	28.5	17.3	65.2
2021	480	29.6	16.1	64.6
2022	450	29.1	15.4	66.4
2023	462	29.1	15.8	72.5
2024	403	26.3	15.2	71

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
1988	616	24.0	25.6	0
1989	618	25.0	24.7	n/a
1990	596	25.0	23.8	0
1991	581	25.0	23.2	n/a
1992	600	28.0	21.4	n/a
1993	569	24.0	23.7	n/a
1994	565	26.1	21.6	n/a
1995	576	25.4	22.7	n/a
1996	576	25.4	22.7	n/a
1997	561	25.9	21.7	n/a
1998	464	19.8	23.4	n/a
1999	502	22.8	22.0	n/a
2000	504	23.9	21.1	n/a
2001	551	21.5	25.6	n/a
2002	552	26.5	20.8	50.9
2003	552	26.5	20.8	50.9
2004	637	27.0	23.6	60.9
2005	644	27.3	23.6	62.4
2006	610	30.8	19.8	62.5
2007	585	33.1	17.7	63.2
2008	571	29.9	19.1	63.4
2009	559	29.9	18.7	69.2
2010	595	28.7	20.6	74.1
2011	664	28.5	23.2	66.7
2012	553	28.3	19.5	69.1
2013	486	25.1	19.3	68.5
2014	542	n/a	n/a	69.9
2015	541	34.0	15.9	73
2016	578	33.0	17.5	69.6
2017	572	33.0	17.3	69.6
2018	514	33.3	15.4	66.7
2019	468	29.4	15.8	65.8
2020	497	28.5	17.3	65.2
2021	480	29.6	16.1	64.6
2022	450	29.1	15.4	66.4
2023	462	29.1	15.8	72.5
2024	403	26.3	15.2	71

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates