Highlands Elementary

Summary:

Highlands Elementary is a public elementary school in Sugar Land, Texas, serving 588 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Fort Bend Independent School District. This high-performing school consistently outperforms district and state averages in academic assessments, with strong results across reading, math, and science.

Highlands Elementary's diverse student population, with a balanced representation of White, Asian, Hispanic, and African American students, is a key strength. The school's Gifted and Talented program ranks in the top 3% of Texas elementary schools, and its English Language Learners also perform exceptionally well, placing in the top 12% statewide. Compared to nearby schools like Dr. Lynn Armstrong Elementary, Quail Valley Elementary, and Dulles Elementary, Highlands Elementary consistently outperforms in academic proficiency and overall statewide rankings.

Highlands Elementary has maintained a consistent 4- or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past decade, indicating its ability to sustain academic excellence. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated between the top 10% and top 20% of Texas elementary schools, further demonstrating its strong performance. This consistent high performance, coupled with its diverse student population and exceptional results for specific subgroups, make Highlands Elementary a standout school within the Fort Bend Independent School District and the state of Texas.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 2022 Colonist Park Dr
       Sugar Land, TX  77478-4437


(281) 634-4160

District: Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd)

SchoolDigger Rank:
733rd of 4,675 Texas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,195 Help


Students who attend Highlands Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Dulles Middle
High:    Dulles High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.3 Help
Number of students:  610

Racial breakdown:

Asian:
28.7%
White:
24.8%
Hispanic:
24.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  41.5% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Highlands Elementary ranks better than 84.3% of elementary schools in Texas. It also ranks 13th among 47 ranked elementary schools in the Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd). (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 80.48. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Highlands Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (28.7%), White (24.8%), Hispanic (24.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 41.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary is 15.3. 27 elementary schools in the Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd) have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Highlands Elementary employs 39.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highlands Elementary is $12,195, which is the 15th highest among 47 elementary schools in the Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd).
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highlands Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands Elementary 733rd of 4675 Texas public elementary schools. (See Highlands Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd):

SchoolDigger ranks Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd) 356th of 968 Texas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Highlands Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 71.06 921st 3465 73.4%
2005 78.02 555th 3475 84.0%
2006 75.45 682nd 3476 80.4%
2007 73.78 831st 3724 77.7%
2008 73.26 850th 3768 77.4%
2009 78.01 611th 3884 84.3%
2010 73.90 853rd 3937 78.3%
2011 78.03 607th 4095 85.2%
2012 75.09 871st 4206 79.3%
2013 75.18 896th 4221 78.8%
2014 82.25 615th 4260 85.6%
2015 86.54 388th 4320 91.0%
2016 88.49 305th 4286 92.9%
2017 89.84 370th 4329 91.5%
2018 78.78 718th 4359 83.5%
2019 86.42 454th 4479 89.9%
2021 88.69 449th 4578 90.2%
2022 86.94 472nd 4581 89.7%
2023 83.19 639th 4647 86.2%
2024 80.48 733rd 4675 84.3%
See the entire list of Texas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.89 402nd 1046 61.6%
2019 74.08 212th 1112 80.9%
2023 58.31 469th 1099 57.3%
2024 59.19 444th 1114 60.1%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.37 563rd 3226 82.5%
2019 73.60 500th 3333 85.0%
2021 88.93 165th 3446 95.2%
2022 80.98 342nd 3487 90.2%
2023 78.93 428th 3556 88.0%
2024 78.86 493rd 3638 86.4%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.89 2590th 3558 27.2%
2019 63.11 805th 3684 78.1%
2021 68.14 621st 3799 83.7%
2022 63.75 915th 3952 76.8%
2023 59.39 1123rd 4086 72.5%
2024 62.01 1151st 4261 73.0%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.60 1230th 4264 71.2%
2019 79.69 414th 4309 90.4%
2021 79.83 432nd 4451 90.3%
2022 79.75 469th 4477 89.5%
2023 72.45 771st 4521 82.9%
2024 66.90 1093rd 4560 76.0%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 71.89 947th 4306 78.0%
2019 80.51 622nd 4348 85.7%
2021 80.71 668th 4499 85.2%
2022 75.45 877th 4561 80.8%
2023 74.82 906th 4588 80.3%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.38 983rd 3106 68.4%
2019 76.65 232nd 3184 92.7%
2021 81.88 199th 3006 93.4%
2022 78.68 82nd 2958 97.2%
2023 76.88 91st 2980 96.9%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.47 558th 4240 86.8%
2019 86.67 221st 4295 94.9%
2021 87.37 216th 4331 95.0%
2022 89.15 195th 4461 95.6%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.18 651st 4319 84.9%
2019 88.03 371st 4357 91.5%
2021 92.58 262nd 4498 94.2%
2022 92.27 235th 4563 94.8%
2023 85.46 494th 4585 89.2%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 56.44 466th 1005 53.6%
2019 67.21 301st 1009 70.2%
2021 56.75 425th 967 56.0%
2022 67.48 284th 957 70.3%
2023 68.26 319th 1015 68.6%
2024 64.91 374th 1035 63.9%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.71 844th 2483 66.0%
2019 51.49 1081st 2515 57.0%
2021 50.35 1038th 2444 57.5%
2022 67.55 536th 2421 77.9%
2023 71.01 468th 2443 80.8%
2024 68.27 524th 2421 78.4%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.55 2014th 4168 51.7%
2019 67.98 963rd 4188 77.0%
2021 80.40 497th 4329 88.5%
2022 75.56 688th 4376 84.3%
2023 51.60 1956th 4401 55.6%
2024 49.95 2114th 4431 52.3%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Highlands Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.18 995th 3127 68.2%
2019 72.88 670th 3142 78.7%
2021 71.69 681st 3082 77.9%
2022 63.35 1036th 3082 66.4%
2023 70.67 760th 3106 75.5%
2024 66.84 896th 3078 70.9%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Texas Education Agency, 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.

Highlands Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Texas Education Agency

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, September 12, 2014

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Enrollment information for Highlands Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 333 31 150 31 n/a n/a n/a 0 545
1989 445 51 187 37 0 n/a n/a 0 720
1990 518 59 194 39 0 n/a n/a 0 810
1991 593 60 224 38 0 n/a n/a 0 915
1992 540 62 193 31 0 n/a n/a 0 826
1993 509 47 201 33 1 n/a n/a 0 791
1994 488 53 189 32 0 n/a n/a 0 762
1995 424 43 220 42 2 n/a n/a 0 731
1996 424 43 220 42 2 n/a n/a 0 731
1997 395 56 256 45 1 n/a n/a 0 753
1998 397 65 274 38 2 n/a n/a 0 776
1999 425 60 280 55 3 n/a n/a 0 823
2000 401 51 271 53 1 n/a n/a 0 777
2001 352 56 246 63 1 n/a n/a 0 718
2002 308 44 290 49 2 n/a n/a 0 693
2003 308 44 290 49 2 n/a n/a 0 693
2004 297 60 269 68 2 n/a n/a 0 696
2005 268 52 284 74 2 n/a n/a 0 680
2006 273 69 286 61 2 n/a n/a 0 691
2007 267 54 267 77 3 n/a n/a 0 668
2008 254 56 264 86 3 n/a n/a 0 663
2009 234 64 255 85 2 n/a n/a 0 640
2010 234 59 206 84 1 n/a n/a 0 584
2011 215 71 178 97 1 2 13 0 577
2012 204 67 209 115 1 1 26 0 623
2013 191 68 221 102 0 0 25 0 607
2014 185 60 193 100 0 1 22 0 561
2015 168 53 201 102 0 2 24 0 550
2016 174 61 232 113 1 2 28 0 611
2017 180 61 220 130 1 2 21 0 615
2018 189 70 216 131 0 1 28 0 635
2019 178 79 204 130 0 2 38 0 631
2020 192 78 189 154 1 2 38 0 654
2021 163 70 173 131 0 3 30 0 570
2022 176 74 153 124 0 0 39 0 566
2023 159 75 162 151 1 1 39 0 588
2024 151 97 175 148 0 1 38 0 610

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

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 545 29.0 18.7 n/a
1989 720 n/a n/a n/a
1990 810 40.0 20.2 n/a
1991 915 40.0 22.8 n/a
1992 826 41.1 20.0 0.8
1993 791 42.0 18.8 1.8
1994 762 39.6 19.2 1.2
1995 731 39.6 18.5 0
1996 731 39.6 18.5 0
1997 753 39.0 19.3 3.1
1998 776 41.9 18.5 2.6
1999 823 46.7 17.6 5.2
2000 777 46.0 16.9 5.9
2001 718 44.9 16.0 6.1
2002 693 45.0 15.4 7.5
2003 693 45.0 15.4 7.5
2004 696 44.5 15.6 9.9
2005 680 43.2 15.7 12.1
2006 691 45.4 15.2 15.6
2007 668 41.6 16.1 12
2008 663 41.1 16.1 13.1
2009 640 41.1 15.5 14.8
2010 584 38.1 15.3 18.3
2011 577 36.7 15.6 17.5
2012 623 39.2 15.8 18.5
2013 607 38.0 15.9 15.8
2014 561 38.5 14.5 15.5
2015 550 41.0 13.4 19.3
2016 611 39.0 15.6 18.3
2017 615 38.2 16.0 23.6
2018 635 37.1 17.1 24.9
2019 631 42.0 15.0 30.1
2020 654 44.0 14.8 33.5
2021 570 42.7 13.3 36
2022 566 42.6 13.2 36
2023 588 41.3 14.2 42.7
2024 610 39.8 15.3 41.5

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

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 545 29.0 18.7 n/a
1989 720 n/a n/a n/a
1990 810 40.0 20.2 n/a
1991 915 40.0 22.8 n/a
1992 826 41.1 20.0 0.8
1993 791 42.0 18.8 1.8
1994 762 39.6 19.2 1.2
1995 731 39.6 18.5 0
1996 731 39.6 18.5 0
1997 753 39.0 19.3 3.1
1998 776 41.9 18.5 2.6
1999 823 46.7 17.6 5.2
2000 777 46.0 16.9 5.9
2001 718 44.9 16.0 6.1
2002 693 45.0 15.4 7.5
2003 693 45.0 15.4 7.5
2004 696 44.5 15.6 9.9
2005 680 43.2 15.7 12.1
2006 691 45.4 15.2 15.6
2007 668 41.6 16.1 12
2008 663 41.1 16.1 13.1
2009 640 41.1 15.5 14.8
2010 584 38.1 15.3 18.3
2011 577 36.7 15.6 17.5
2012 623 39.2 15.8 18.5
2013 607 38.0 15.9 15.8
2014 561 38.5 14.5 15.5
2015 550 41.0 13.4 19.3
2016 611 39.0 15.6 18.3
2017 615 38.2 16.0 23.6
2018 635 37.1 17.1 24.9
2019 631 42.0 15.0 30.1
2020 654 44.0 14.8 33.5
2021 570 42.7 13.3 36
2022 566 42.6 13.2 36
2023 588 41.3 14.2 42.7
2024 610 39.8 15.3 41.5

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

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $562 (4.8%) $11,033 (95.2%) $11,595
2020 $578 (5.7%) $9,574 (94.3%) $10,152
2021 $723 (5.9%) $11,472 (94.1%) $12,195

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Highlands 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 454th of 4479 Elementary schoolsRanks 639th of 4647 Elementary schools
 3.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Reading (Highlands Elementary)7466
 8%
   3rd Grade Reading (Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd))5459
 5%
   3rd Grade Reading (Texas)4450
 6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Highlands Elementary)6366
 3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd))5751
 6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Texas)4843
 5%
4th Grade Reading (Highlands Elementary)5358
 5%
   4th Grade Reading (Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd))5254
 2%
   4th Grade Reading (Texas)4347
 4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Highlands Elementary)6259
 3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd))5452
 2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Texas)4647
 1%
5th Grade Reading (Highlands Elementary)7175
 4%
   5th Grade Reading (Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd))6366
 3%
   5th Grade Reading (Texas)5156
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Highlands Elementary)8666
 20%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd))6657
 9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Texas)5650
 6%
5th Grade Science (Highlands Elementary)6750
 17%
   5th Grade Science (Fort Bend Independent School District (Isd))5237
 15%
   5th Grade Science (Texas)4834
 14%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students631588
 6.8%
African American7975
 5.1%
American Indian01
Asian204162
 20.6%
Hispanic130151
 16.2%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White178159
 10.7%
Two or More Races3839
 2.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients30.1%42.7%
 12.6%


Schools Near Highlands Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Highlands Elementary

Highlands Elementary ranks 733rd of 4675 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 610 students attended Highlands Elementary.

Students at Highlands Elementary are 29% Asian, 25% White, 24% Hispanic, 16% African American, 6% Two or more races.

Students who attend Highlands Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dulles Middle
High : Dulles High 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 Texas Education Agency.

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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