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C

Highlands School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 4 towns

Serves Harrison Township, Tarentum, Brackenridge and Fawn Township.

Harrison Township’s School Grade C better than 27% of Pennsylvania school districts

Students
2,004
Schools
4
Spent per student
$19,508
PA $21,758
Students per teacher
12:1
Debt
$33.5M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Highlands School District

  • Its letter, C: results better than 27% of Pennsylvania districts
  • Math proficiency 7 pts below the state
  • Reading proficiency 10 pts below the state
  • Graduation rate 6 pts below the state
  • Spends 10% less per student than the PA average
  • 12 students per teacher
  • Enrollment down 11% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $33.5M, about $16,701 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

C: better than 27% of the 688 Pennsylvania school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well below the state, 2021–22
C
GraduationFour-year graduation well below the state, class of 2023
D
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
CHarrison Township 9,688CTarentum 4,127CBrackenridge 3,093CFawn Township 2,093

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Harrison Township. Grade by grade →

PK–KHighlands Early Childhood CenterThis district
1–4Highlands El SchThis district
5–8Highlands MSThis district
9–12Highlands SHSThis district

Test scores vs. PA

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency29%
State average 36.1% · 996 students tested
Reading / language arts45%
State average 55.1% · 1,058 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)80–84%
State average 87.5% · 169 in the class

94% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$19,508 per student · 10% below PA
Spending
Classroom instruction 60%Support & administration 37%Other 3%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 39%State 44%Federal 16%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
2,251’20
2,248’21
2,185’22
2,088’23
2,004’24

Down 11% since 2020–21.

Students
White 71%Two or more races 14%Black 10%Hispanic 4%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

4 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Pennsylvania’s other public schools.

Highlands Early Childhood Center
Elementary · Grades PK–K · Brackenridge
205 students15:1
Highlands El Sch
Elementary · Grades 1–4 · Tarentum
C+
559 students13:1
Highlands MS
Middle · Grades 5–8 · Natrona Heights
C
575 students10:1
Highlands SHS
High · Grades 9–12 · Natrona Heights
A−
665 students14:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Deer Lakes School DistrictEast Deer Township, Frazer Township, West Deer Township
$20,403per student
Burrell School DistrictLower Burrell
$17,851per student
Freeport Area School DistrictBuffalo Township
$17,347per student
Kiski Area School DistrictAllegheny Township
$17,121per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Pennsylvania.