Original Research by School Decision on Highland Free School (79061)
Highland Free School is a single-school district serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Pima County. It is a very small district, with an enrollment that places it among the smaller elementary-only systems in the region. Because it serves only elementary and middle grades through sixth, it does not have a graduation rate to report.
The student body is diverse. About two-fifths of students are white, and roughly one-third are Hispanic. Black students and students who identify as two or more races each make up a notable share of the enrollment. The state did not report data on how many students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and information on students with disabilities and English learners was also absent from the available records.
State testing results for the most recent year were suppressed, meaning the performance data for Highland Free School in math, English language arts, and science was not published. This suppression is typical when the number of test takers is very small, as it prevents the identification of individual students. As a result, there is no publicly reported proficiency information to compare against other schools or districts in Pima County.
The district’s chronic absenteeism rate fell below the midpoint among Pima County’s seventy-two districts that reported this measure. This suggests that a meaningful share of students are missing enough school to raise a flag, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about attendance patterns and what support is in place.
Per-pupil current spending was in the middle range of the county’s districts, though on the lower side of that range.
The district operates a single school, also called Highland Free School, which is listed as open. No other schools are attached to this district.
A search for recent district-level changes, such as referendums, curriculum overhauls, or property-tax shifts, turned up no evidence of any lasting parent-relevant developments. The district’s small size and single-school structure mean that many of the administrative and programmatic moves seen in larger districts are less likely to be documented publicly at this scale.
For a family, this is a very small elementary district serving one campus. The lack of published test results makes it impossible to judge academic performance through the usual state metrics. The chronic absenteeism rate is something to discuss with the school. The student population is racially and ethnically mixed, and there is no information available on the share of students from low-income households or those receiving special education or English language services. A parent considering this district would need to invest time in talking directly with staff and visiting the school to get a clear picture of the instructional program, student support, and day-to-day environment.
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