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Highland Elementary School

Summary:

Highland Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Gadsden, Alabama, serving grades PK-6 with a student population of 225. The school is part of the Etowah County School District, which is ranked 62 out of 137 districts in Alabama and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highland Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of white students (86.67% in 2022-2023) compared to the surrounding schools, which have more diverse student populations. The school's test scores in Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) are generally lower than the Etowah County and Alabama state averages, particularly in the upper grades. For example, in 2023-2024, only 0% of 6th-grade students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 23.97% in Etowah County and 31.56% statewide. Highland Elementary's statewide ranking has fluctuated between 286 and 613 out of 680-695 Alabama elementary schools over the past 10 years, with a current ranking of 390 out of 684 schools, placing it in the bottom half of elementary schools in the state. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 53.67% to 69.33% over the past three school years.

Highland Elementary's performance on state assessments is particularly low for male students and white students, who rank in the bottom half of their respective subgroups statewide. While Highland Elementary is part of the same school district as Gaston Elementary and Duck Springs Elementary, its performance lags behind these schools, which have higher test scores, better statewide rankings, and lower percentages of students receiving free/reduced lunch. The high percentage of students from low-income families at Highland Elementary may be a contributing factor to the school's lower academic performance, as research has shown a strong correlation between socioeconomic status and educational outcomes.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 3156 Tabor Rd
       Gadsden, AL  35904

(256) 546-7409

District: Etowah County

SchoolDigger Rank:
390th of 684 Alabama Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,660 Help


Students who attend Highland Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Gaston High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.9 Help
Number of students:  223

Racial breakdown:

White:
83.4%
Two or more races:
10.3%
Hispanic:
3.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  67.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Highland Elementary School ranks worse than 57% of elementary schools in Alabama. It also ranks 9th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Etowah County School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.29. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (83.4%), two or more races (10.3%), Hispanic (3.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 67.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland Elementary School is 13.9, which is the lowest among 11 elementary schools in the Etowah County School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Highland Elementary School employs 16 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highland Elementary School is $10,660, which is the highest among 11 elementary schools in the Etowah County School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highland Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Highland Elementary School 390th of 684 Alabama public elementary schools. (See Highland Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Etowah County:

SchoolDigger ranks Etowah County 62nd of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Highland Elementary School?

Rank History for Highland Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Highland Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 49.97 334th 623 46.4%
2005 43.36 438th 688 36.3%
2006 53.82 331st 689 52.0%
2007 60.35 296th 698 57.6%
2008 58.62 292nd 698 58.2%
2009 41.90 468th 696 32.8%
2010 27.73 586th 704 16.8%
2011 48.47 441st 709 37.8%
2012 40.09 510th 696 26.7%
2013 47.99 461st 696 33.8%
2014 31.76 509th 695 26.8%
2015 30.62 508th 691 26.5%
2016 49.19 352nd 691 49.1%
2017 55.99 302nd 688 56.1%
2018 59.26 286th 680 57.9%
2019 52.66 332nd 681 51.2%
2021 47.30 365th 692 47.3%
2022 53.79 325th 687 52.7%
2023 55.08 308th 680 54.7%
2024 45.29 390th 684 43.0%
See the entire list of Alabama Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.46 191st 651 70.7%
2019 68.12 158th 649 75.7%
2021 52.10 317th 653 51.5%
2022 60.46 240th 651 63.1%
2023 52.92 295th 623 52.6%
2024 40.64 420th 670 37.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highland Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.72 347th 640 45.8%
2019 41.62 414th 646 35.9%
2021 49.30 333rd 656 49.2%
2023 58.66 257th 645 60.2%
2024 55.03 285th 650 56.2%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highland Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.19 261st 650 59.8%
2019 74.94 130th 650 80.0%
2021 30.31 463rd 669 30.8%
2022 37.17 419th 669 37.4%
2023 46.53 358th 649 44.8%
2024 44.44 379th 655 42.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Highland Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 25.97 305th 369 17.3%
2018 34.24 362nd 508 28.7%
2019 31.35 391st 529 26.1%
2021 36.27 349th 539 35.3%
2022 38.11 338th 540 37.4%
2023 39.35 336th 528 36.4%
2024 29.20 418th 535 21.9%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State 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.

Highland Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Highland Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 292 292
1989 286 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 286
1990 257 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 257
1991 300 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 300
1992 293 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 293
1993 296 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 296
1994 270 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 270
1995 280 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 280
1996 280 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 280
1997 279 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 279
1998 304 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 304
1999 296 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 296
2000 305 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 305
2001 305 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 305
2002 274 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 274
2003 274 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 274
2004 262 0 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 263
2005 301 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 301
2006 292 0 0 0 3 n/a n/a 0 295
2007 269 0 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 271
2008 256 0 0 5 1 n/a n/a 0 262
2009 263 1 0 5 2 n/a n/a 0 271
2010 255 1 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 258
2011 234 1 0 7 2 0 0 0 244
2012 236 2 0 3 1 0 1 0 243
2013 230 1 0 3 1 0 2 0 237
2014 160 1 0 2 1 0 5 0 169
2015 177 1 0 1 0 0 9 0 188
2016 177 1 0 2 0 0 8 0 188
2017 170 3 0 3 0 0 7 0 183
2018 171 4 0 5 0 0 9 0 189
2019 154 1 0 4 1 0 14 0 174
2020 163 1 1 2 1 0 15 0 183
2021 165 2 0 3 1 0 19 0 190
2022 195 4 0 1 1 0 17 0 218
2023 195 2 0 6 1 0 21 0 225
2024 186 6 0 7 1 0 23 0 223

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 School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 292 13.0 22.4 0
1989 286 13.0 22.0 n/a
1990 257 14.0 18.3 0
1991 300 15.0 20.0 n/a
1992 293 18.0 16.2 n/a
1993 296 16.0 18.5 n/a
1994 270 17.2 15.7 n/a
1995 280 17.0 16.5 n/a
1996 280 17.0 16.5 n/a
1997 279 19.0 14.7 38.7
1998 304 20.0 15.2 33.6
1999 296 20.0 14.8 47
2000 305 20.0 15.3 56.7
2001 305 19.0 16.1 65.9
2002 274 19.0 14.4 70.4
2003 274 19.0 14.4 70.4
2004 263 23.8 11.1 71.9
2005 301 21.0 14.3 67.4
2006 295 21.0 14.0 63.7
2007 271 20.0 13.6 62.7
2008 262 20.7 12.7 59.5
2009 271 18.5 14.5 65.3
2010 258 23.8 10.8 71.7
2011 244 23.4 10.4 70.9
2012 243 21.6 11.2 80.2
2013 237 25.5 9.2 77.6
2014 169 15.4 10.9 76.3
2015 188 13.0 14.4 66
2016 188 13.0 14.4 63.3
2017 183 12.2 14.9 74.3
2018 189 12.2 15.4 66.1
2019 174 10.2 17.0 67.8
2020 183 13.0 14.0 62.8
2021 190 13.0 14.6 61.1
2022 218 12.0 18.1 53.7
2023 225 15.0 15.0 69.3
2024 223 16.0 13.9 67.7

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 Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 292 13.0 22.4 0
1989 286 13.0 22.0 n/a
1990 257 14.0 18.3 0
1991 300 15.0 20.0 n/a
1992 293 18.0 16.2 n/a
1993 296 16.0 18.5 n/a
1994 270 17.2 15.7 n/a
1995 280 17.0 16.5 n/a
1996 280 17.0 16.5 n/a
1997 279 19.0 14.7 38.7
1998 304 20.0 15.2 33.6
1999 296 20.0 14.8 47
2000 305 20.0 15.3 56.7
2001 305 19.0 16.1 65.9
2002 274 19.0 14.4 70.4
2003 274 19.0 14.4 70.4
2004 263 23.8 11.1 71.9
2005 301 21.0 14.3 67.4
2006 295 21.0 14.0 63.7
2007 271 20.0 13.6 62.7
2008 262 20.7 12.7 59.5
2009 271 18.5 14.5 65.3
2010 258 23.8 10.8 71.7
2011 244 23.4 10.4 70.9
2012 243 21.6 11.2 80.2
2013 237 25.5 9.2 77.6
2014 169 15.4 10.9 76.3
2015 188 13.0 14.4 66
2016 188 13.0 14.4 63.3
2017 183 12.2 14.9 74.3
2018 189 12.2 15.4 66.1
2019 174 10.2 17.0 67.8
2020 183 13.0 14.0 62.8
2021 190 13.0 14.6 61.1
2022 218 12.0 18.1 53.7
2023 225 15.0 15.0 69.3
2024 223 16.0 13.9 67.7

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 Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,779 (16.7%) $8,880 (83.3%) $10,660

Data source: Alabama Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland 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 332nd of 681 Elementary schoolsRanks 308th of 680 Elementary schools
 3.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Highland Elementary School)4865.5
 17.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Etowah County)65.146.9
 18.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Alabama)57.543.6
 13.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Highland Elementary School)42.10
 42.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Etowah County)52.431.1
 21.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)47.334.9
 12.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Highland Elementary School)34.88.3
 26.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Etowah County)52.230.3
 22%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)44.933.9
 10.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Highland Elementary School)47.837.5
 10.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Etowah County)46.128.8
 17.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)45.330.8
 14.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students174225
 29.3%
African American12
 100%
American Indian11
Asian00
Hispanic46
 50%
Pacific Islander00
White154195
 26.6%
Two or More Races1421
 50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients67.8%69.3%
 1.5%

Schools Near Highland Elementary School








Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Elementary School

Highland Elementary School ranks 390th of 684 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 223 students attended Highland Elementary School.

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

High : Gaston High School

Students at Highland Elementary School are 83% White, 10% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 3% African American.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State 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.




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