Highlands Elementary, Pittsburg CA

Original Research by School Decision on Highlands Elementary

Highlands Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Pittsburg, a mixed-use city in Contra Costa County that has seen steady growth over recent years. The school's enrollment is small, with about equal numbers of students across most grades, and a high proportion of families—roughly three-quarters of the student body—qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The student body is diverse: more than half identify as Hispanic, with meaningful populations of Black, Asian, White, and multiracial students. The school is located on Harbor Street, the same road where Pittsburg High School sits, in a suburban part of the city.

Academically, Highlands Elementary's 2024-25 California state assessment results show proficiency levels that are substantially below the midpoint among the county's school districts. In English language arts across tested grades, proficiency ranged from about one-quarter to just under three-tenths of students. In mathematics, the picture is more challenging, with proficiency rates starting around one-fifth of students in third and fourth grade but falling sharply to under one-tenth in fifth grade. Science proficiency in fifth grade was around one-seventh of students. These are weak results across the board, and a parent evaluating this school would want to look into what reading, math, and science instruction looks like in the classrooms, what supports exist for struggling learners, and what plans the school or district has underway to improve achievement.

The school is part of Pittsburg Unified, which in November 2024 won voter approval for a general obligation bond to repair, upgrade, and expand local schools. That investment is now underway, so families in the district will see facility modernization over coming years. In May 2026, the district refinanced some outstanding bonds at lower interest rates, reducing annual debt-service costs on property tax bills. The broader Pittsburg housing market is mid-priced by Bay Area standards, with modest recent price declines, and the city is growing: population and new housing units are rising, downtown is undergoing revitalization, and new residential subdivisions are being built.

For a family considering Highlands Elementary, the key takeaway is a school with a small, economically diverse student body, modest academic results, and a district in the midst of facility investment and cost-saving refinancing. This is a neighborhood elementary school in a community experiencing real growth, not a school where high proficiency is the current profile.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 25% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 22% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 54%

School 4% · District 17% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 29% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 27% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 38% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Science

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 20% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

This schoolPittsburg Unified, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income11%Higher-income72%61 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income27%Higher-income36%9 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income27%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income13%Higher-income50%38 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income13%Higher-income50%37 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income2%Higher-income18%16 pp gap