Highland Junior High School

Summary:

Highland Junior High School is a public middle school located in Mesa, Arizona, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 979 students. The school is part of the Gilbert Unified District, which is ranked 90 out of 288 districts in Arizona and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highland Junior High School consistently performs above the state and district averages in standardized test scores, with 60% of 7th-grade students and 49% of 8th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the Gilbert Unified District's 57% and 47%, and the state's 41% and 35%, respectively. In mathematics, 51% of 7th-grade and 49% of 8th-grade students were proficient or better, compared to the district's 50% and 47%, and the state's 30% and 28%. The school has maintained a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 25% of Arizona middle schools for the past several years, and has shown consistent performance across various student subgroups.

When compared to other nearby middle schools, such as Greenfield Junior High School, which is also part of the Gilbert Unified District, Highland Junior High School stands out as a high-performing institution. The school has also maintained very low dropout rates, ranging from 0.1% to 2.2% over the past several years, which is significantly lower than the state average.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 6915 E Guadalupe Rd
       Mesa, AZ  85212-1752


(480) 632-4739

District: Gilbert Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
124th of 550 Arizona Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $5,857 Help


Students who attend Highland Junior High School usually attend:

High:    Highland High School

Feeder schools for Highland Junior High School:

Elementary:    Carol Rae Ranch Elementary
    Highland Park Elementary
    Superstition Springs Elementary
    Towne Meadows Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.7 Help
Number of students:  956

Racial breakdown:

White:
60.8%
Hispanic:
24.3%
Two or more races:
6.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  29.9% Help


 See top rated Arizona middle schools

 Compare Highland Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Highland Junior High School ranks better than 77.5% of middle schools in Arizona. It also ranks 3rd among 5 ranked middle schools in the Gilbert Unified District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 72.65. (See more...)
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (60.8%), Hispanic (24.3%), two or more races (6.1%). (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland Junior High School is 16.7, which is the 2nd best among 5 middle schools in the Gilbert Unified District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Highland Junior High School employs 57 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highland Junior High School is $5,857. 3 middle schools in the Gilbert Unified District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highland Junior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Highland Junior High School 124th of 550 Arizona public middle schools. (See Highland Junior High School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Gilbert Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Gilbert Unified District 97th of 297 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Highland Junior High School?

Rank History for Highland Junior High School

Help
Compare

Rank History for all students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 87.97 49th 663 92.6%
2010 86.07 72nd 692 89.6%
2011 81.55 105th 685 84.7%
2012 79.37 120th 772 84.5%
2013 80.78 112th 787 85.8%
2014 87.78 71st 690 89.7%
2015 75.27 111th 521 78.7%
2016 75.01 143rd 677 78.9%
2017 78.93 119th 695 82.9%
2018 77.07 143rd 711 79.9%
2019 70.89 161st 605 73.4%
2021 82.66 116th 832 86.1%
2022 69.07 160th 605 73.6%
2023 81.13 114th 854 86.7%
2024 72.65 124th 550 77.5%
See the entire list of Arizona Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 76.74 80th 650 87.7%
2022 26.88 185th 211 12.3%
2023 50.54 194th 384 49.5%
2024 45.10 11th 20 45.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 56.85 48th 606 92.1%
2023 43.47 57th 145 60.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.48 31st 178 82.6%
2021 57.04 157th 789 80.1%
2023 30.58 243rd 363 33.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 71.57 94th 503 81.3%
2022 59.90 129th 369 65.0%
2023 75.30 98th 717 86.3%
2024 64.90 81st 320 74.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 79.74 8th 257 96.9%
2023 86.97 3rd 64 95.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.96 131st 624 79.0%
2019 65.29 147th 466 68.5%
2021 83.32 100th 820 87.8%
2022 69.55 110th 494 77.7%
2023 78.15 129th 806 84.0%
2024 57.38 131st 386 66.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 31.16 129th 166 22.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 50.38 70th 143 51.0%
2022 33.29 58th 68 14.7%
2023 32.49 86th 110 21.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.36 132nd 617 78.6%
2019 65.78 133rd 435 69.4%
2021 80.27 119th 818 85.5%
2022 58.01 180th 476 62.2%
2023 80.50 116th 810 85.7%
2024 68.55 88th 370 76.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.74 30th 42 28.6%
2019 41.00 21st 31 32.3%
2021 63.72 135th 404 66.6%
2022 44.76 114th 192 40.6%
2023 51.77 105th 247 57.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.33 29th 125 76.8%
2021 46.04 233rd 573 59.3%
2023 48.75 172nd 400 57.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.43 133rd 543 75.5%
2019 67.00 97th 387 74.9%
2021 70.03 148th 802 81.5%
2022 47.49 188th 392 52.0%
2023 66.15 182nd 760 76.1%
2024 54.54 115th 329 65.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 74.21 27th 390 93.1%
2023 37.60 88th 159 44.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 48.78 44th 108 59.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Highland Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.06 149th 436 65.8%
2019 53.80 156th 337 53.7%
2021 76.09 128th 780 83.6%
2022 57.50 174th 446 61.0%
2023 73.89 116th 675 82.8%
2024 58.84 101st 288 64.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, 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.

Highland Junior High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Open Quote I go to highland jr. and it is a great school! The music program there is amazing especially band and jazz band. the teachers there are great and really care about their students. The bullying is very small. There are rarely fights and everybody is happy. This is an amazing school Close Quote



Enrollment information for Highland Junior High School

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1999 902 14 11 74 2 n/a n/a 0 1003
2000 989 22 11 81 3 n/a n/a 0 1106
2001 1217 24 21 113 3 n/a n/a 0 1378
2002 1077 28 27 114 6 n/a n/a 0 1252
2003 1077 28 27 114 6 n/a n/a 0 1252
2004 1068 40 34 115 3 n/a n/a 0 1260
2005 1072 44 30 130 7 n/a n/a 0 1283
2006 1047 41 36 143 8 n/a n/a 0 1275
2007 1007 43 50 173 6 n/a n/a 0 1279
2008 1020 38 56 168 6 n/a n/a 0 1288
2009 1061 43 60 143 6 n/a n/a 0 1313
2010 1056 43 49 163 6 n/a n/a 0 1317
2011 1001 42 46 181 8 2 3 0 1283
2012 978 52 54 174 10 5 6 0 1279
2013 1000 49 57 192 8 4 8 0 1318
2014 1017 38 45 198 6 4 11 0 1319
2015 973 39 36 198 5 4 14 0 1269
2016 927 32 34 212 9 5 13 0 1232
2017 883 38 36 207 11 10 15 0 1200
2018 879 35 35 211 9 13 27 0 1209
2019 901 31 34 244 10 9 39 0 1268
2020 880 31 35 268 7 5 52 0 1278
2021 654 16 21 231 6 11 49 0 988
2022 664 25 28 251 8 7 55 0 1038
2023 628 24 34 210 19 6 58 0 979
2024 581 28 31 232 19 7 58 0 956

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 Junior High School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1999 1003 48.5 20.7 n/a
2000 1106 60.0 18.4 n/a
2001 1378 62.0 22.2 n/a
2002 1252 60.6 20.7 11.9
2003 1252 60.6 20.7 11.9
2004 1260 62.9 20.0 6.4
2005 1283 64.9 19.8 6
2006 1275 61.9 20.6 14.4
2007 1279 64.1 20.0 12.2
2008 1288 64.2 20.1 15.5
2009 1313 66.5 19.7 19.6
2010 1317 60.5 21.7 19.1
2011 1283 58.5 21.9 23.6
2012 1279 58.1 22.0 15
2013 1318 61.2 21.5 n/a
2014 1319 60.1 21.9 0.4
2015 1269 60.0 21.1 0.3
2016 1232 58.0 21.2 0.2
2017 1200 57.9 20.7 23.4
2018 1209 54.5 22.1 21.9
2019 1268 56.6 22.4 19.9
2020 1278 59.2 21.5 18.9
2021 988 59.2 16.6 n/a
2022 1038 46.0 22.5 10
2023 979 46.8 20.9 29.9
2024 956 57.0 16.7 n/a

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 Junior High School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1999 1003 48.5 20.7 n/a
2000 1106 60.0 18.4 n/a
2001 1378 62.0 22.2 n/a
2002 1252 60.6 20.7 11.9
2003 1252 60.6 20.7 11.9
2004 1260 62.9 20.0 6.4
2005 1283 64.9 19.8 6
2006 1275 61.9 20.6 14.4
2007 1279 64.1 20.0 12.2
2008 1288 64.2 20.1 15.5
2009 1313 66.5 19.7 19.6
2010 1317 60.5 21.7 19.1
2011 1283 58.5 21.9 23.6
2012 1279 58.1 22.0 15
2013 1318 61.2 21.5 n/a
2014 1319 60.1 21.9 0.4
2015 1269 60.0 21.1 0.3
2016 1232 58.0 21.2 0.2
2017 1200 57.9 20.7 23.4
2018 1209 54.5 22.1 21.9
2019 1268 56.6 22.4 19.9
2020 1278 59.2 21.5 18.9
2021 988 59.2 16.6 n/a
2022 1038 46.0 22.5 10
2023 979 46.8 20.9 29.9
2024 956 57.0 16.7 n/a

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 Junior High School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $355 (5.0%) $6,833 (96.6%) $7,074
2020 $288 (5.7%) $4,872 (95.7%) $5,090
2021 $352 (5.8%) $5,776 (94.7%) $6,099
2022 $599 (10.2%) $5,291 (90.3%) $5,857

Data source: Arizona Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland Junior High 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 161st of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 114th of 854 Middle schools
 13.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students1268979
 22.8%
African American3124
 22.6%
American Indian1019
 90%
Asian3434
Hispanic244210
 13.9%
Pacific Islander96
 33.3%
White901628
 30.3%
Two or More Races3958
 48.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients19.9%29.9%
 10.1%


Schools Near Highland Junior High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Junior High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 956 students attended Highland Junior High School.

Students at Highland Junior High School are 61% White, 24% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 3% African American, 2% American Indian.

Highland Junior High School ranks 124th of 550 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Highland Junior High School usually go on to attend Highland High School


Rate Highland Junior High School!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Highland Junior High School!




SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona 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.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 1855 milliseconds.