Is Highland Middle a good school?

Highland Middle ranks 490 th of 793 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Highland Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 803 students attended Highland Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Highland Middle?

Students at Highland Middle are 40% White, 25% Hispanic, 23% African American, 11% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Highland Middle attend?

Students who attend Highland Middle usually go on to attend Western Harnett High

Highland Middle

Summary:

Highland Middle is a public middle school located in Sanford, North Carolina, serving 875 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Harnett County Schools district, which is ranked 188 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Highland Middle's performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is generally below the state and district averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 6th-grade math proficiency rate was 48.6%, compared to the state average of 54.3% and the district average of 44.7%. The school's performance is particularly low in the White student subgroup, ranking in the bottom half of North Carolina middle schools for this group. Additionally, Highland Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom half of North Carolina middle schools, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.

One interesting finding is that while Highland Middle's overall academic performance is below average, the school's Hispanic and multi-racial student subgroups perform relatively better, ranking in the middle or upper half of North Carolina middle schools for these groups. In contrast, the school's White student subgroup performs poorly, ranking in the bottom half of the state. When compared to other middle schools in the Harnett County district, such as Overhills Middle and Western Harnett Middle, Highland Middle generally performs worse academically, with lower proficiency rates in core subjects.

Detail:

Public 6-8

345 Highland School Rd
Sanford, NC 27332

(919) 498-3331

District: Harnett County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
490^th of 793 North Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,358

Students who attend Highland Middle usually attend:

High:

Western Harnett High

Feeder schools for Highland Middle:

Elementary:	Highland Elementary
	Johnsonville Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

Number of students: 803

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.0%

Hispanic:

24.9%

African American:

22.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65.3%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Highland Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Highland Middle ranks worse than 61.8% of middle schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 2^nd among 6 ranked middle schools in the Harnett County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.61. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Highland Middle is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (40%), Hispanic (24.9%), African American (22.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 65.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland Middle is 15.7, which is the 2^nd best among 6 middle schools in the Harnett County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Highland Middle employs 51.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highland Middle is $7,358, which is the lowest among 6 middle schools in the Harnett County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highland Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Highland Middle 490^th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See Highland Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Harnett County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Harnett County Schools 188^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Highland Middle?

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Rank History for Highland Middle

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Rank History for all students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2016	44.02	398^th	692	42.5%
2017	39.14	442^nd	694	36.3%
2018	36.96	462^nd	691	33.1%
2019	40.42	470^th	737	36.2%
2021	42.35	414^th	741	44.1%
2022	42.03	452^nd	786	42.5%
2023	35.58	502^nd	784	36.0%
2024	39.61	490^th	793	38.2%

See the entire list of North Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	26.88	187^th	221	15.4%
2019	25.29	200^th	237	15.6%
2021	38.89	152^nd	248	38.7%
2022	36.43	188^th	283	33.6%
2023	35.27	209^th	302	30.8%
2024	46.89	160^th	306	47.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	39.84	111^th	211	47.4%
2021	47.70	82^nd	236	65.3%
2022	30.76	239^th	312	23.4%
2023	42.94	158^th	318	50.3%
2024	50.07	132^nd	356	62.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	29.03	348^th	473	26.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	41.20	371^st	604	38.6%
2019	34.02	465^th	639	27.2%
2021	38.92	380^th	633	40.0%
2022	33.06	475^th	689	31.1%
2023	30.49	543^rd	735	26.1%
2024	38.06	471^st	743	36.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	45.73	406^th	656	38.1%
2019	40.42	442^nd	684	35.4%
2021	40.44	405^th	706	42.6%
2022	42.08	418^th	733	43.0%
2023	35.46	470^th	731	35.7%
2024	40.81	441^st	738	40.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	20.62	436^th	475	8.2%
2019	26.02	427^th	504	15.3%
2021	40.97	268^th	478	43.9%
2022	27.67	343^rd	449	23.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	71.43	15^th	127	88.2%
2019	68.04	99^th	416	76.2%
2021	43.66	323^rd	448	27.9%
2022	52.80	264^th	450	41.3%
2023	49.35	288^th	452	36.3%
2024	45.04	336^th	461	27.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	23.71	41^st	45	8.9%
2019	52.66	23^rd	48	52.1%
2021	55.43	28^th	57	50.9%
2022	67.82	17^th	58	70.7%
2023	54.47	26^th	54	51.9%
2024	54.04	32^nd	58	44.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	27.54	505^th	665	24.1%
2019	37.14	461^st	697	33.9%
2021	43.48	391^st	711	45.0%
2022	40.08	456^th	748	39.0%
2023	34.11	502^nd	747	32.8%
2024	37.61	480^th	751	36.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	46.70	253^rd	494	48.8%
2019	44.06	283^rd	519	45.5%
2021	44.78	254^th	533	52.3%
2022	39.02	314^th	550	42.9%
2023	23.69	471^st	559	15.7%
2024	37.38	347^th	560	38.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	36.50	337^th	472	28.6%
2019	39.07	326^th	493	33.9%
2021	44.23	288^th	522	44.8%
2022	48.44	269^th	541	50.3%
2023	42.99	312^th	553	43.6%
2024	42.29	335^th	564	40.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Highland Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	28.90	477^th	596	20.0%
2019	35.75	439^th	624	29.6%
2021	41.20	369^th	632	41.6%
2022	38.09	417^th	658	36.6%
2023	35.76	444^th	656	32.3%
2024	32.08	477^th	652	26.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Highland Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	161	57	2	54	4	0	21	299
2016	454	217	11	140	6	1	69	898
2017	423	199	8	151	6	0	67	854
2018	422	224	6	153	7	3	85	900
2019	429	221	5	183	6	4	91	939
2020	432	232	5	210	6	9	96	990
2021	414	238	8	225	5	2	79	971
2022	392	238	7	226	6	5	68	942
2023	351	226	3	208	1	3	83	875
2024	321	181	5	200	4	5	87	803

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 Highland Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	299	19.0	15.7	48.5
2016	898	49.0	18.3	57.6
2017	854	48.4	17.6	61.1
2018	900	50.9	17.6	54.2
2019	939	49.9	18.7	56.2
2020	990	53.2	18.5	56.2
2021	971	54.5	17.7	41.2
2022	942	57.3	16.4	39.3
2023	875	56.2	15.5	64.2
2024	803	51.1	15.7	65.3

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 Highland Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	299	19.0	15.7	48.5
2016	898	49.0	18.3	57.6
2017	854	48.4	17.6	61.1
2018	900	50.9	17.6	54.2
2019	939	49.9	18.7	56.2
2020	990	53.2	18.5	56.2
2021	971	54.5	17.7	41.2
2022	942	57.3	16.4	39.3
2023	875	56.2	15.5	64.2
2024	803	51.1	15.7	65.3

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 Highland Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$539 (7.3%)	$6,819 (92.7%)	$7,358

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland Middle

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 470^th of 737 Middle schools	Ranks 502^nd of 784 Middle schools	0.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Highland Middle)	56.3	41.3	15%
6th Grade Mathematics (Harnett County Schools)	53.4	35.2	18.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.8	52.3	6.5%
6th Grade Reading (Highland Middle)	58.2	40.5	17.7%
6th Grade Reading (Harnett County Schools)	56	38	18%
6th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	60	49.3	10.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Highland Middle)	48.4	44.3	4.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Harnett County Schools)	51.2	35.2	16%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.4	50.1	8.3%
7th Grade Reading (Highland Middle)	50.8	41.7	9.1%
7th Grade Reading (Harnett County Schools)	50.8	40.5	10.3%
7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	58.8	50.2	8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Highland Middle)	45.5	31.9	13.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Harnett County Schools)	45	33.3	11.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	52.6	44.8	7.8%
8th Grade Reading (Highland Middle)	43.9	37.2	6.7%
8th Grade Reading (Harnett County Schools)	45.7	39	6.7%
8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	55.6	51	4.6%
8th Grade Science (Highland Middle)	72	69.4	2.6%
8th Grade Science (Harnett County Schools)	72.9	65.9	7%
8th Grade Science (North Carolina)	78.6	70.3	8.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	939	875	6.8%
African American	221	226	2.3%
American Indian	6	1	83.3%
Asian	5	3	40%
Hispanic	183	208	13.7%
Pacific Islander	4	3	25%
White	429	351	18.2%
Two or More Races	91	83	8.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	56.2%	64.2%	8%

Schools Near Highland Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOG Mathematics (2024)			EOG Reading (2024)			EOG Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highland Middle	Public	6-8	345 Highland School Rd	Sanford	27332	Lee County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 498-3331	803	51	15.7	65.3%	321 (40.0%)	181 (22.5%)	200 (24.9%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	5 (0.6%)	87 (10.8%)	39.6	490^th of 793 public middle schools	38.2%		35.6	502^nd of 784 public middle schools	36.0%	12	48.6	39.3	40.3	39.4	41.8	40.7	73.0	$7,358	$539	$6,819
Western Harnett Middle	Public	6-8	11135 NC Hwy 27 West	Lillington	27546	Harnett County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 499-4497	766	48	16.0	57.3%	357 (46.6%)	137 (17.9%)	202 (26.4%)	4 (0.5%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (8.0%)	45.4	434^th of 793 public middle schools	45.3%		44.8	415^th of 784 public middle schools	47.1%	19	63.3	40.8	40.8	52.9	38.5	46.0	63.2	$8,179	$745	$7,434
Overhills Middle	Public	6-8	2711 Ray Road	Spring Lake	28390	Cumberland County	Harnett County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 436-0009	829	49	16.8	59.0%	237 (28.6%)	314 (37.9%)	171 (20.6%)	8 (1.0%)	6 (0.7%)	6 (0.7%)	87 (10.5%)	31.5	554^th of 793 public middle schools	30.1%		38.9	473^rd of 784 public middle schools	39.7%	81	36.3	27.0	41.6	37.4	35.7	44.2	68.2	$7,678	$612	$7,065
Spring Lake Middle	Public	6-8	612 Spring Avenue	Spring Lake	28390	Cumberland County	Cumberland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 497-1175	516	33	15.6	99.4%	53 (10.3%)	318 (61.6%)	72 (14.0%)	3 (0.6%)	8 (1.6%)	3 (0.6%)	59 (11.4%)	24.2	625^th of 793 public middle schools	21.2%		23	634^th of 784 public middle schools	19.1%	9	26.6	40.5	25.0	41.8	33.0	37.2	57.1	$9,881	$1,613	$8,268
East Lee Middle	Public	6-8	1337 Broadway Rd	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 776-8441	477	35	13.6	75.9%	129 (27.0%)	95 (19.9%)	225 (47.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.5%)	28.2	577^th of 793 public middle schools	27.2%		31.8	538^th of 784 public middle schools	31.4%	39	39.3	37.0	47.0	40.7	30.6	37.0	50.0	$8,028	$700	$7,329
SanLee Middle School	Public	6-8	2309 Tramway Rd	Sanford	27332	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 708-7227	791	55	14.3	71.0%	257 (32.5%)	155 (19.6%)	339 (42.9%)	8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (3.9%)	52.7	364^th of 793 public middle schools	54.1%		48	393^rd of 784 public middle schools	49.9%	29	60.3	53.1	37.0	55.1	45.3	45.7	73.3	$7,599	$701	$6,898
Pine Forest Middle	Public	6-8	6901 Ramsey Street	Fayetteville	28311	Cumberland County	Cumberland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 488-2711	704	45	15.6	54.4%	215 (30.5%)	267 (37.9%)	132 (18.8%)	17 (2.4%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	66 (9.4%)	45.2	436^th of 793 public middle schools	45.0%		63.7	257^th of 784 public middle schools	67.2%	179	42.0	37.7	40.4	49.0	48.0	58.1	65.5	$8,355	$972	$7,383
Crain's Creek Middle	Public	6-8	4631 Union Church Rd	Carthage	28327	Moore County	Moore County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 245-3796	496	31	16.1	99.4%	268 (54.0%)	118 (23.8%)	70 (14.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.5%)	55.6	328^th of 793 public middle schools	58.6%		43.5	425^th of 784 public middle schools	45.8%	97	63.9	40.8	40.3	52.8	47.8	59.1	72.9	$9,638	$999	$8,640
West Lee Middle	Public	6-8	3301 Wicker St	Sanford	27330	Lee County	Lee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 775-7351	583	36	16.1	70.0%	129 (22.1%)	134 (23.0%)	285 (48.9%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (5.0%)	16.1	697^th of 793 public middle schools	12.1%		21.1	646^th of 784 public middle schools	17.6%	51	22.6	28.8	22.4	32.9	28.8	30.9	57.6	$8,316	$876	$7,440
Westover Middle	Public	6-8	275 Bonanza Drive	Fayetteville	28303	Cumberland County	Cumberland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 864-0813	778	42	18.7	99.6%	53 (6.8%)	512 (65.8%)	138 (17.7%)	13 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.8%)	55 (7.1%)	27.9	583^rd of 793 public middle schools	26.5%		31.1	544^th of 784 public middle schools	30.6%	39	41.1	26.6	23.8	47.6	39.7	39.5	57.3	$8,929	$1,969	$6,960

Highland Middle

Highland Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Harnett County Schools:

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Rank History for Highland Middle

Rank History for all students at Highland Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Highland Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Highland Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at Highland Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland Middle

Rank History for Female students at Highland Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Highland Middle

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Highland Middle

Rank History for Military Connected students at Highland Middle

Rank History for Male students at Highland Middle

Rank History for African American students at Highland Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highland Middle

Rank History for White students at Highland Middle

Enrollment information for Highland Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Highland Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Highland Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Highland Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Highland Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Middle

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