Highlands Elementary is a K-5 school.
It serves grades K-5 (California Department of Education school directory), so it has no graduating class and there is nothing to measure for UC admissions. Its enrollment, student body and state test results are below.
Highlands Elementary
San Mateo · San Mateo County · San Mateo-Foster City · Public
Shareable scorecard →Compare with peers
Most similar nearby schools
San Carlos Charter Learning Center → Los Robles-Ronald McNair Academy → North Star Academy → Bridges @ Melrose Academy Elementary → Aspire Monarch Academy → Compare all similar →At a glance
- Gifted & talented program
- AP rigor: Bottom 14% of US high schools
Composed from federal CRDC offerings, and other public data. Full breakdowns below.
How Highlands Elementary compares for families
What families should know about Highlands Elementary.
- ▸ Locally🧮 Top 7 in San Mateo County on Math proficiency — plus 1 more top-rank.
- ▸ vs Similar SchoolsThe closest comparables nearby: San Carlos Charter Learning Center, Los Robles-Ronald McNair Academy, North Star Academy and 2 more. See the sidebar to compare side-by-side.
For Parents
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Objective, government-grade data — no school pays us for placement.
SAT / ACT participation
CRDC federal data · 2020-21Source: federal Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC 2020-21). Volume — not score — is what's reported here. A higher count means more students at this school are entering the college admissions pipeline. Note: 2020-21 was COVID-disrupted; some districts (especially those that stayed remote longer) report unusually low or zero takers.
College readiness
Getting ready for college
These come from the state and federal files, not from UC — so they are here whether or not Highlands Elementary has a UC admissions record.
Chronic absenteeism — 2024-25
Share of students missing 10% or more of expected attendance — the leading indicator that often precedes the demand decline shown above. Families disengaging tend to raise absenteeism first, then formally leave. Basis: total enrollment.
Absenteeism is up 8.4 pp since 2016-17. A rising absenteeism trend often precedes formal departure — worth investigating which subgroups are driving it.
Source: California Department of Education, Chronic Absenteeism 2024-25. Benchmarks limited to non-virtual public & charter HS with ≥100 eligible students. CDE didn't publish a usable 2019-20 file (COVID).
Enrollment trend & projection
If this trend holds (-6.2%/yr, Total enrollment)
At per-pupil funding of $ / student:
| Horizon | Projected Total enrollment | Change | Funding impact / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 yr (2027) | ~327 | -22 | $0 |
| 3 yr (2029) | ~288 | -61 | $0 |
| 5 yr (2031) | ~253 | -96 | $0 |
Straight-line extrapolation of the recent annual rate — a what-if, not a forecast of intent. Default = California's LCFF base grant for grades 9–12 ($12,423/ADA). Edit the figure to match your school.
How does Highlands Elementary really compare on getting kids to college?
Unlock a head-to-head snapshot of Highlands Elementary against its 10 most similar nearby schools — matched on size, location, type. See exactly where it stands on the college pipeline.
Your similar-school group includes
San Carlos Charter Learning Center · Los Robles-Ronald McNair Academy · North Star Academy · Bridges @ Melrose Academy Elementary · Aspire Monarch Academy · KIPP Summit Academy · +4 more
Enrollment stability & demand — 2024-25
Two complementary signals: retention (do students stay once enrolled?) and demand (are families choosing the school?). Read against the San Mateo County baseline — the demographic tide is moving every CA HS, so a school's gap vs. county is the actionable signal.
20 of 395 students who enrolled at Highlands Elementary this year didn't maintain continuous enrollment (5.1% non-stability). Mid-year transfers, dropouts, and other exits are all counted.
Stability by student group
Nearest peer high schools
Source: California Department of Education, Stability Rate 2024-25. Benchmarks limited to non-virtual public & charter HS with ≥100 cumulative enrollees so by-design-high-churn continuation schools don't dominate the bottom of the distribution. Cumulative enrollment counts every student on the rolls during the year, so it can exceed peak-day enrollment.
For School Admins
The full Reach Report for Highlands Elementary
A board- and LCAP-ready intelligence brief: your enrollment retention and college outcomes, benchmarked against your closest competitors, with a 5-year forecast, concrete steps to act on, and the rigor + outcomes story you can share with your families. Built from primary public data — prepared for you, not auto-generated.
- ✓Your 5-year enrollment forecast (currently -6.2%/yr) with the revenue at stake
- ✓Student-retention benchmarking vs your county median — and the LCAP evidence to back your goals
Related reading
Bay Area · League table · August 19, 2026
Behind the data · August 12, 2026