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Highland Elementary School

Q: Is Highland Elementary School a good school?

Highland Elementary School ranks 632 nd of 1511 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-4

632^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,511 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Better than 58% of Pennsylvania elementary schools

Summary

Highland Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, serving 466 students in grades K-4. The school is part of the Ephrata Area School District, which is ranked 169 out of 606 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highland Elementary School consistently outperforms the Ephrata Area School District and the state of Pennsylvania in PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) test scores across various subjects and grade levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, 57.2% of Highland Elementary students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 44.8% for the district and 41.7% for the state. Similarly, 53.8% of Highland Elementary students were proficient or better in PSSA English Language Arts, compared to 51.5% for the district and 48.5% for the state. The school's performance in PSSA Science is also noteworthy, with 94.5% of students proficient or better in the 2023-2024 school year, significantly higher than the district (77.1%) and state (65.8%) averages.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools within the Ephrata Area School District, Highland Elementary School generally outperforms its peers in academic performance, particularly in PSSA Math and English Language Arts. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Highland Elementary had a higher percentage of students proficient or better in PSSA Math (57.2%) compared to Clay Elementary School (57.2%), Akron Elementary School (60.9%), and Fulton Elementary School (59.5%). Similarly, in the 2024-2025 school year, Highland Elementary had a higher percentage of students proficient or better in PSSA English Language Arts (53.8%) compared to its peers.

438

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,885

Per pupil spending ?

54.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

99 Highland Ave
Ephrata, PA 17522

(717) 721-1160

District: Ephrata Area School District

Students who attend Highland Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ephrata Intermediate School
	Ephrata Middle School
High:	Ephrata Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.3%

Hispanic:

14.2%

Two or more races:

4.8%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Highland Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 52nd percentile in 2015 → 58th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Pennsylvania average (55% vs 45% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Pennsylvania median (58th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Ephrata Area School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg48%

Pennsylvania avg45%

632^nd of 1,511

Pennsylvania public elementary schools ?

Top 42%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From top 48% (2015) to top 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary Schools in the Ephrata Area School District

169^th of 606Ephrata Area School District among Pennsylvania districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	61.3	632 of 1511	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.8	314 of 1526	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	70.5	483 of 1534	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.7	697 of 1534	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.2	487 of 1433	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.2	680 of 1544	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.0	1006 of 1530	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	66.8	581 of 1547	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	58.3	801 of 1554	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	59.9	705 of 1474	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	56.8	812 of 1467	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	59.8	766 of 1519	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	71.3	507 of 1599	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.4	489 of 1597	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.0	726 of 1579	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	49.2	998 of 1549	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	56.4	835 of 1551	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	60.4	731 of 1555	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	53.6	875 of 1545	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	47.5	835 of 1299	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2004	81.7	219 of 1308	83.3%	★★★★☆
2003	60.0	612 of 1302	53.0%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2023	84.2	105 of 1043	89.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	60.9	612 of 1466	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	84.4	172 of 1488	88.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2023	78.4	63 of 432	85.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	67.6	376 of 1369	72.5%	★★★★☆
2024	88.9	68 of 1432	95.3%	★★★★★
2023	77.0	241 of 1414	83.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	59.4	645 of 1475	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.7	455 of 1495	69.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	43.3	736 of 1201	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.8	384 of 1229	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.2	458 of 1236	62.9%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2023)90th percentile+21 vs school

Hispanic (2023)85th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)73rd percentile+14 vs school

Female (2025)58th percentile~ school

Male (2025)56th percentile~ school

White (2025)39th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

Math57%+16 vs state

English Language Arts54%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Highland Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSSA Math (2025)					PSSA English Language Arts (2025)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highland Elementary School	Public	K-4	99 Highland Ave	Ephrata	17522	Lancaster County	Ephrata Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 721-1160	438	31	14.0	54.8%	343 (78.3%)	3 (0.7%)	62 (14.2%)	7 (1.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.8%)	61.3	632^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	58.2%		78.8	314^th of 1526 public elementary schools	79.4%	318	65.5	50.0			57.2	57.1	51.0			53.8	$16,885	$605	$16,280
Fulton Elementary School	Public	K-4	51 East Fulton Street	Ephrata	17522	Lancaster County	Ephrata Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 721-1130	297	22	13.7	61.6%	199 (67.0%)	5 (1.7%)	60 (20.2%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.7%)	65.6	565^th of 1511 public elementary schools	62.6%		68.8	518^th of 1526 public elementary schools	66.1%	47	66.6	54.1			59.5	57.8	54.2			55.3	$17,632	$786	$16,846
Akron Elementary School	Public	K-4	125 S 11th St	Akron	17501	Lancaster County	Ephrata Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 859-0400	276	20	13.4	69.9%	203 (73.6%)	4 (1.4%)	40 (14.5%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (9.4%)	67.4	522^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	65.5%		62	664^th of 1526 public elementary schools	56.5%	142	64.1	58.1			60.9	64.2	51.6			57.4	$17,606	$801	$16,805
Reamstown Elementary School	Public	K-5	44 South Reamstown Road	Reamstown	17567	Lancaster County	Cocalico School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 336-1531	375	29	12.8	47.7%	326 (86.9%)	2 (0.5%)	32 (8.5%)	9 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	69.7	470^th of 1511 public elementary schools	68.9%		73.1	434^th of 1526 public elementary schools	71.6%	36	47.6	75.3	57.2		60.3	54.1	62.3	54.6		57.0	$19,088	$420	$18,668
Denver Elementary School	Public	K-5	South 4th Street	Denver	17517	Lancaster County	Cocalico School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 336-1501	460	34	13.5	50.0%	384 (83.5%)	4 (0.9%)	43 (9.3%)	11 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.7%)	86.6	176^th of 1511 public elementary schools	88.4%		83	225^th of 1526 public elementary schools	85.3%	49	81.6	75.3	74.6		77.1	61.9	66.3	80.6		69.0	$18,868	$476	$18,392
Clay Elementary School	Public	K-4	250 Clay School Rd	Ephrata	17522	Lancaster County	Ephrata Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 721-1100	377	29	13.1	48.8%	284 (75.3%)	13 (3.4%)	42 (11.1%)	11 (2.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.9%)	66.9	534^th of 1511 public elementary schools	64.7%		71.2	462^nd of 1526 public elementary schools	69.7%	72	56.3	57.8			57.2	59.1	61.8			60.5	$17,768	$534	$17,235
Brownstown Elementary School	Public	K-5	51 School Lane	Brownstown	17508	Lancaster County	Conestoga Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 656-6021	392	32	12.2	42.1%	287 (73.2%)	5 (1.3%)	48 (12.2%)	20 (5.1%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	28 (7.1%)	81.7	250^th of 1511 public elementary schools	83.5%		75.2	388^th of 1526 public elementary schools	74.6%	138	77.2	76.3	54.5		69.1	62.1	76.2	60.6		66.0	$22,114	$738	$21,376
John Beck Elementary School	Public	K-6	418 E Lexington Rd	Lititz	17543	Lancaster County	Warwick School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 626-3702	432	31	13.7	34.5%	382 (88.4%)	3 (0.7%)	28 (6.5%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.0%)	69.5	479^th of 1511 public elementary schools	68.3%		63.5	626^th of 1526 public elementary schools	59.0%	147	61.0	65.1	48.2	43.2	53.9	61.0	58.1	51.6	60.8	58.0	$17,130	$1,041	$16,089
John R Bonfield Elementary School	Public	K-6	101 N Oak St	Lititz	17543	Lancaster County	Warwick School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 626-3704	446	32	14.1	46.4%	339 (76.0%)	18 (4.0%)	56 (12.6%)	12 (2.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.5%)	62.1	615^th of 1511 public elementary schools	59.3%		55	792^nd of 1526 public elementary schools	48.1%	177	62.5	57.1	34.5	39.4	48.2	60.3	58.9	44.2	57.6	55.3	$16,878	$1,026	$15,852
Kissel Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	215 Landis Valley Rd	Lititz	17543	Lancaster County	Warwick School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 626-3703	579	38	15.4	33.7%	463 (80.0%)	16 (2.8%)	60 (10.4%)	16 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.1%)	74.5	392^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	74.1%		64.3	608^th of 1526 public elementary schools	60.2%	216	58.5	65.9	51.2	58.6	58.5	47.7	68.3	59.7	71.4	62.2	$15,700	$954	$14,745

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Elementary School

How many students attend Highland Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 438 students attended Highland Elementary School.

What district is Highland Elementary School in?

Ephrata Area School District

What is the racial makeup of Highland Elementary School?

Students at Highland Elementary School are 78% White, 14% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Highland Elementary School a good school?

Highland Elementary School ranks 632^nd of 1511 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Highland Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Ephrata Intermediate School
Middle : Ephrata Middle School
High : Ephrata Senior 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 Pennsylvania 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.