Hill-Gustat Middle School

Q: Is Hill-Gustat Middle School a good school?

Hill-Gustat Middle School ranks 664 th of 1196 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Hill-Gustat Middle School is a public middle school in Sebring, Florida, serving 705 students in grades 6-10. The school is part of the Highlands District, which is ranked 46 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite facing challenges such as high rates of free and reduced-price lunch (62.55%) and chronic absenteeism (41.6%), Hill-Gustat Middle School consistently outperforms the Highlands District and the state of Florida in standardized test scores. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 85% proficiency in EOC/Algebra 1, compared to 46% for the Highlands District and 55% for Florida. Similarly, the school had 93% proficiency in EOC/Civics, compared to 55% for the Highlands District and 67% for Florida. This suggests that the school is effectively supporting its students and implementing strategies to overcome the challenges associated with high poverty and absenteeism.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Lake Placid Middle School, Sebring Middle School, and Avon Park Middle School, Hill-Gustat Middle School stands out as a relatively higher-performing institution. While the other schools in the Highlands District struggle with lower test scores and higher chronic absenteeism, Hill-Gustat Middle School appears to be more successful in addressing these challenges. However, there are still areas for improvement, such as reducing chronic absenteeism and further improving test scores, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Detail:

Public 6-12

4700 Schumacher Rd
Sebring, FL 33872

(863) 471-5437

District: Highlands

SchoolDigger Rank:
664^th of 1,196 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,757

Students who attend Hill-Gustat Middle School usually attend:

High:

Sebring High School

Feeder schools for Hill-Gustat Middle School:

Elementary:

Sun 'n Lake Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 631

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

39.0%

White:

35.3%

African American:

16.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.5%

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Compare Hill-Gustat Middle School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Hill-Gustat Middle School ranks worse than 55.5% of middle schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.61. (See more...)

Compare Details Hill-Gustat Middle School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2022 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.88. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Hill-Gustat Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (39%), White (35.3%), African American (16.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Hill-Gustat Middle School is 16.8, which is the lowest among 7 high schools in the Highlands School District! (See more...)

Compare Hill-Gustat Middle School employs 37.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Hill-Gustat Middle School is $9,757, which is the 3^rd highest among 4 high schools in the Highlands School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Hill-Gustat Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Hill-Gustat Middle School 664^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Hill-Gustat Middle School in the ranking list.)

Highlands:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands 46^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Hill-Gustat Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	69.23	176^th	593	70.3%
2005	64.57	216^th	602	64.1%
2006	61.01	260^th	675	61.5%
2007	54.00	366^th	736	50.3%
2008	53.17	378^th	740	48.9%
2009	48.22	441^st	780	43.5%
2010	55.52	404^th	839	51.8%
2011	59.64	384^th	891	56.9%
2012	54.60	420^th	897	53.2%
2013	54.42	435^th	956	54.5%
2014	59.44	396^th	999	60.4%
2016	54.10	442^nd	997	55.7%
2017	45.63	554^th	1031	46.3%
2018	49.14	531^st	1035	48.7%
2019	55.68	473^rd	1099	57.0%
2021	55.98	467^th	1136	58.9%
2022	48.06	575^th	1148	49.9%
2023	42.61	664^th	1177	43.6%
2024	44.61	664^th	1196	44.5%

See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Hill-Gustat Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2019	62.07	180^th	734	75.5%
2021	73.46	97^th	746	87.0%
2022	39.88	389^th	774	49.7%

See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Sunday, October 16, 2011

HGM is an "A" school I think we deserve to have a better rating then 306th. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Hill-Gustat Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1997	383	80	10	75	0	n/a	n/a	0	548
1998	381	89	14	81	0	n/a	n/a	0	565
1999	374	88	14	90	1	n/a	n/a	0	567
2000	383	92	13	87	1	n/a	n/a	0	576
2001	417	98	13	108	4	n/a	n/a	0	640
2002	395	85	21	126	3	n/a	n/a	0	630
2003	395	85	21	126	3	n/a	n/a	0	630
2004	411	103	20	124	3	n/a	n/a	0	661
2005	392	106	24	128	2	n/a	n/a	0	652
2006	385	101	20	133	4	n/a	n/a	0	643
2007	352	89	19	166	7	n/a	n/a	19	652
2008	341	95	18	194	9	n/a	n/a	20	677
2009	345	111	24	187	11	n/a	n/a	12	690
2010	347	94	19	207	5	n/a	n/a	25	697
2011	378	96	26	205	6	0	16	0	727
2012	351	106	16	213	5	0	23	0	714
2013	357	96	31	227	6	0	22	0	739
2014	342	101	33	210	3	0	23	0	712
2015	336	110	41	199	3	0	22	0	711
2016	298	105	38	202	0	0	22	0	665
2017	289	100	35	205	1	1	27	0	658
2018	274	100	32	241	0	1	23	0	671
2019	274	109	41	257	0	1	35	0	717
2020	292	122	38	247	0	0	26	0	725
2021	274	105	39	244	2	0	30	0	694
2022	252	100	24	263	1	0	36	0	676
2023	265	95	23	276	3	1	42	0	705
2024	223	103	29	246	2	1	27	0	631

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Hill-Gustat Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	548	28.0	19.6	38
1998	565	29.0	19.5	40
1999	567	30.0	18.9	43.6
2000	576	30.0	19.2	47.7
2001	640	29.0	22.1	51.1
2002	630	36.0	17.5	51.4
2003	630	36.0	17.5	51.4
2004	661	38.0	17.4	56.3
2005	652	39.0	16.7	57.2
2006	643	40.0	16.1	48.1
2007	652	41.0	15.9	52.9
2008	677	42.0	16.1	58.8
2009	690	47.3	16.8	60.3
2010	697	37.0	18.8	65.9
2011	727	37.0	19.6	64.2
2012	714	35.5	20.0	69.3
2013	739	43.0	17.1	70.1
2014	712	45.0	15.8	71.2
2015	711	48.0	14.8	73
2016	665	41.0	16.2	72.8
2017	658	39.0	16.8	73.6
2018	671	41.0	16.3	71.1
2019	717	42.0	17.0	80.1
2020	725	40.0	18.1	56.4
2021	694	42.0	16.5	55.9
2022	676	41.0	16.4	61.2
2023	705	36.0	19.5	62.6
2024	631	37.5	16.8	73.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Hill-Gustat Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	548	28.0	19.6	38
1998	565	29.0	19.5	40
1999	567	30.0	18.9	43.6
2000	576	30.0	19.2	47.7
2001	640	29.0	22.1	51.1
2002	630	36.0	17.5	51.4
2003	630	36.0	17.5	51.4
2004	661	38.0	17.4	56.3
2005	652	39.0	16.7	57.2
2006	643	40.0	16.1	48.1
2007	652	41.0	15.9	52.9
2008	677	42.0	16.1	58.8
2009	690	47.3	16.8	60.3
2010	697	37.0	18.8	65.9
2011	727	37.0	19.6	64.2
2012	714	35.5	20.0	69.3
2013	739	43.0	17.1	70.1
2014	712	45.0	15.8	71.2
2015	711	48.0	14.8	73
2016	665	41.0	16.2	72.8
2017	658	39.0	16.8	73.6
2018	671	41.0	16.3	71.1
2019	717	42.0	17.0	80.1
2020	725	40.0	18.1	56.4
2021	694	42.0	16.5	55.9
2022	676	41.0	16.4	61.2
2023	705	36.0	19.5	62.6
2024	631	37.5	16.8	73.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Hill-Gustat Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$868 (10.9%)	$7,119 (89.1%)	$7,987
2019	$727 (9.2%)	$7,174 (90.8%)	$7,901
2020	$709 (8.7%)	$7,472 (91.3%)	$8,181
2021	$1,018 (11.5%)	$7,870 (88.6%)	$8,887
2022	$2,218 (21.9%)	$7,921 (78.1%)	$10,139
2023	$2,214 (22.7%)	$7,543 (77.3%)	$9,757

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Hill-Gustat Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 473^rd of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 664^th of 1177 Middle schools	13.4%
Ranks 180^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 389^th of 774 High schools	25.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Hill-Gustat Middle School)	55	36	19%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Highlands)	44	37	7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Hill-Gustat Middle School)	52	45	7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Highlands)	44	40	4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Hill-Gustat Middle School)	48	42	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Highlands)	40	39	1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Hill-Gustat Middle School)	55	55
7th Grade Mathematics (Highlands)	49	49
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Hill-Gustat Middle School)	59	45	14%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Highlands)	46	37	9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Hill-Gustat Middle School)	60	37	23%
8th Grade Mathematics (Highlands)	44	36	8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (Hill-Gustat Middle School)	54	52	2%
8th Grade Science (Highlands)	41	38	3%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
End of Course Civics (Hill-Gustat Middle School)	72	57	15%
End of Course Civics (Highlands)	60	56	4%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Hill-Gustat Middle School)	89	96	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Highlands)	52	51	1%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Hill-Gustat Middle School)	95	95
End of Course Geometry (Highlands)	55	48	7%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	717	705	1.7%
African American	109	95	12.8%
American Indian	0	3
Asian	41	23	43.9%
Hispanic	257	276	7.4%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	274	265	3.3%
Two or More Races	35	42	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	80.1%	62.6%	17.5%

Schools Near Hill-Gustat Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)					FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hill-Gustat Middle School	Public	6-12	4700 Schumacher Rd	Sebring	33872	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 471-5437	631	38	16.8	73.5%	223 (35.3%)	103 (16.3%)	246 (39.0%)	29 (4.6%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (4.3%)								(n/a)	45.0	49.0	44.0			37.0	58.0	41.0	52.0	85.0				93.0	$9,757	$2,214	$7,543
Sebring High School	Public	9-12	3514 Kenilworth Blvd	Sebring	33870	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 471-5500	1,901	74	25.8	68.3%	848 (44.6%)	256 (13.5%)	658 (34.6%)	57 (3.0%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	75 (3.9%)	32.4	513^th of 807 public high schools	36.4%		38	410^th of 792 public high schools	48.2%	103				42.0	45.0					28.0	42.0	59.0	51.0		$9,634	$2,091	$7,542
Avon Park High School	Public	9-12	700 E Main St	Avon Park	33825	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 452-4311	946	48	19.7	75.5%	268 (28.3%)	206 (21.8%)	420 (44.4%)	14 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	34 (3.6%)	35.3	472^nd of 807 public high schools	41.5%		28.7	516^th of 792 public high schools	34.8%	44				52.0	48.0					44.0	37.0	49.0	55.0		$12,300	$3,056	$9,244
Highlands Virtual Franchise	Public, Virtual	6-12	426 School St	Sebring	33870	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	Yes	No	(863) 471-5610	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Highlands Virtual Franchise	Public, Virtual	6-12	426 School St	Sebring	33870	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	Yes	No	(863) 471-5610	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Highlands County Schools Jail Program	Public	8-12	426 School St	Sebring	33870	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	No	(863) 471-5583	3	0			0 (0.0%)	1 (33.3%)	2 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Frostproof Middle/Senior High	Public	6-12	1000 Palm Ave N	Frostproof	33843	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 635-7809	1,082	58	18.6	67.4%	443 (40.9%)	108 (10.0%)	501 (46.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	26 (2.4%)	33.4	502^nd of 807 public high schools	37.8%		34.8	445^th of 792 public high schools	43.8%	57	46.0	36.0	32.0	41.0	38.0	33.0	23.0	36.0	28.0	30.0	54.0	46.0	61.0	64.0	$10,665	$1,737	$8,928
Lake Placid High School	Public	9-12	202 Green Dragon Dr	Lake Placid	33852	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 699-5010	829	42	19.9	73.9%	309 (37.3%)	123 (14.8%)	372 (44.9%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.4%)	31.8	523^rd of 807 public high schools	35.2%		31.6	485^th of 792 public high schools	38.8%	38				40.0	48.0					33.0	29.0	52.0	61.0		$11,514	$2,499	$9,015
Pioneer Career Academy	Public	5-12	200 S Florida Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	No	(863) 735-2300	44	1	44.0	90.9%	6 (13.6%)	6 (13.6%)	32 (72.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.3	703^rd of 807 public high schools	12.9%					(n/a)					18.0					9.0		27.0			$15,781	$5,719	$10,062
Hardee Junior High School	Public	6-12	2401 Us Highway 17 N	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-3147	1,089	66	16.5	69.1%	322 (29.6%)	55 (5.1%)	689 (63.3%)	7 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (1.5%)	46.8	340^th of 807 public high schools	57.9%		66.4	161^st of 792 public high schools	79.7%	179	54.0	43.0	44.0			52.0	46.0	47.0	36.0	84.0				62.0	$10,748	$2,509	$8,240

Frequently Asked Questions about Hill-Gustat Middle School

How many students attend Hill-Gustat Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 631 students attended Hill-Gustat Middle School.

Is Hill-Gustat Middle School a good school?

Hill-Gustat Middle School ranks 664^th of 1196 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Hill-Gustat Middle School?

Students at Hill-Gustat Middle School are 39% Hispanic, 35% White, 16% African American, 5% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Hill-Gustat Middle School in?

Highlands

What schools feed into Hill-Gustat Middle School?

Hill-Gustat Middle School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Sun 'n Lake Elementary 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 Florida 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.