Highland Elementary School: Las Cruces PK-5 Academics &amp; Community (2026 List)

About HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY

Highland Elementary School is located at 4201 Emerald Street, Las Cruces, in a residential-suburban neighborhood of northern Las Cruces. It serves grades PK through 5, enrolling about 724 students with a student–teacher ratio of roughly 16:1. On recent state assessments, about 30% of students are proficient in math, and around 42% are proficient in reading. The student body is balanced by gender, approximately 51% male and 49% female. The school fosters a community-oriented and inviting atmosphere that supports the academic, social, and emotional growth of its students. The housing in the areas surrounding Highland Elementary is at mid-level prices, usually from $200,000 to $260,000, which most families find reasonable when they are assessing living close to the school. Parents are frequently saying that the employees are kind and have excellent communication with the families. Highland Elementary School, with its present academic profile and positive climate, is working hard to be ranked among the top elementary schools in New ????????????????Mexico.

Academic Performance

Subject Proficiency

Mathematics 30%

Reading 42%

State average proficiency is 30% in Math and 42% in Reading.

46

Full-time Teachers

15 : 1

Student-Teacher Ratio

1

Teachers In First Or Second Year (yrs)

724

Total Students

$70383

Avg. Teacher Salary

Student Demographics

White 20.03%

Asian 1.66%

Hispanic 73.34%

Black 1.8%

Two+ Races 2.21%

Native Am. 0.97%

White

20.03%

Asian

1.66%

Hispanic

73.34%

Black

1.8%

Two+ Races

2.21%

Native Am.

0.97%

Gender Distribution

Total Students: 724

49.17%

356 Female

50.83%

368 Male

Student Population

724 Students

With a student-teacher ratio of 15 : 1

Minority Enrollment

25%

Percentage of minority students

Students per Counselor

362 : 1

Student to counselor ratio

HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY Contact Information

Address

4201 EMERALD ST, LAS CRUCES, NM, 88012

View on Map

Phone

(575) 527-9636

Call Now

Website

http://highland.lcps.net/o/hles

Recent News & Updates

New Playground Name

We are so excited to announce the name of our new playground! Following a school-wide and Robinson community vote we narrowed a large list of names down to four. Since our students will be using the playground on a daily basis, we gave them the final vote! 476.....

School Timings

Regular School Hours

All Grades: 8:00 AM - 2:40 PM

Early Dismissal Days

Dismissal Time: 12:15 PM

Note: Doors open at 7:45 AM for student arrival. Please refer to the school calendar for specific early dismissal dates.

After School Activities

Information coming soon

School Session Dates

September to June

School session starts in September 1st week and ends in June 3rd week. For exact dates, please contact the school.

Remarkable Alumni

Being Updated

Map

Latest News

Highland Elementary School is running a “Butter Braid” fundraiser that ends on December 3, 2025. Proceeds will support student end-of-year awards.

FAQ

Q1. What does Highland Elementary do to help kids learn how to read maps early?

Ans. Students learn how to read spatial layouts by using simple maps, symbol cards, and games that give them directions.

Q2. What are some ways to help students feel more confident speaking?

Ans. Teachers use turn-taking discussions, descriptive sharing, and vocabulary-building prompts to help students strengthen their expressive skills.

Q3. How does the school use sound recognition to help students learn?

Ans. Students play listening games, sound-matching games, and rhythm games to help them become more aware of sounds.

Q4. How does Highland teach the basics of graphing?

Ans. Based on student questions and classroom interests, classrooms make picture graphs, simple bar charts, and tally collections.

Q5. What routines help Highland's classrooms move from one activity to the next without getting too loud?

Ans. Teachers use breathing cues, quiet hand signals, and short reset activities to help kids move from one task to the next without any problems.

Games & Extracurricular Activities

Sports

Soccer Club Grades 1-3 | Mon/Wed 3:30-4:30pm
Basketball Grades 2-4 | Tue/Thu 3:30-4:45pm
Track & Field Grades 3-5 | Fri 3:30-5:00pm

Arts

Art Club Grades K-2 | Mon 3:00-4:00pm
Drama Club Grades 3-5 | Wed 3:30-5:00pm
Choir Grades 2-5 | Thu 3:15-4:15pm

Clubs

Chess Club Grades 2-5 | Fri 3:15-4:15pm
Garden Club All Grades | Tue 3:15-4:00pm
Robotics Club Grades 3-5 | Thu 3:30-5:00pm

Note: Schedules may change during school holidays. Please contact School for exact Schedule.

Summer Suggested Reading

Horn Book Selections

Vocabulary.com +3 Horn Book +3 What to Read to Your Kids +3

ML

Maggie Lou, Firefox

by Arnolda Dufour Bowes

PS

The Puppets of Spelhorst

by Kate DiCamillo

MLV

The Mona Lisa Vanishes

by Nicholas Day

Vocabulary.com Top Picks

Penguin Random House +10 Vocabulary.com +10 Wikipedia +10

F

Frindle

by Andrew Clements

WR

The Wild Robot

by Peter Brown

JGP

James and the Giant Peach

by Roald Dahl

Penguin Random House Features

Horn Book +2 Penguin Random House +2 The Guardian +2

SLB

The Secret Language of Birds

by Lynne Kelly

S

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels

by Beth Lincoln

Free Robotics and Stem In-person Workshop in Your Neighbourhood for 7-14 Years Tech Enthusiasts.

Local kids are transforming ideas into real-world.

See the projects happening right in your neighborhood

What Parents Say