Is Highlands High a good school?

Highlands High ranks 1525 th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Highlands High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 744 students attended Highlands High.

What is the racial makeup of Highlands High?

Students at Highlands High are 53% Hispanic, 16% White, 15% African American, 8% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Highlands High?

Highlands High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Frederick Joyce Elementary Elementary : Hillsdale Elementary Elementary : Kohler Elementary Elementary : Ridgepoint Elementary Elementary : Sierra View Elementary Elementary : Village Elementary Elementary : Warren A. Allison Elementary

Highlands High

Summary:

Highlands High is a public high school located in North Highlands, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 744 students. It is part of the Twin Rivers Unified School District, which is ranked 1122 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Highlands High has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of California high schools, with a current ranking of 1525 out of 2323 schools and a 2-star rating.

Highlands High faces several challenges, including consistently low academic performance, with only around 28% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 19% in Mathematics. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as Asian (1 star) and White (1 star) students, who rank in the bottom 25% of California high schools. In contrast, Highlands High's African American students perform relatively better, ranking in the top 37% of California high schools. The school has also seen fluctuations in its four-year graduation rate, ranging from 83.7% to 91.7%, and its dropout rate has varied from a low of 4.2% to a high of 13.1% in recent years. Additionally, Highlands High has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 13.2% in 2017-2018 to 31.3% in 2022-2023.

Comparing Highlands High to nearby schools highlights the need for targeted interventions and support to address these issues and improve student outcomes. Center High, located in the neighboring Center Joint Unified District, significantly outperforms Highlands High across all academic and performance indicators, ranking in the top 30% of California high schools. Similarly, Foothill High, another school in the Twin Rivers Unified District, performs slightly better than Highlands High in academic metrics, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism.

Detail:

Public 9-12

6601 Guthrie Way
North Highlands, CA 95660-3911

(916) 566-3465

District: Twin Rivers Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1525^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Feeder schools for Highlands High:

Elementary:	Frederick Joyce Elementary
	Hillsdale Elementary
	Kohler Elementary
	Ridgepoint Elementary
	More...
	Sierra View Elementary
	Village Elementary
	Warren A. Allison Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 17.7

Number of students: 744

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

52.8%

White:

16.4%

African American:

14.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 89.5%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Highlands High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Highlands High ranks worse than 65.6% of high schools in California. It also ranks 3^rd among 6 ranked high schools in the Twin Rivers Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.2. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Highlands High freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Highlands High is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (52.8%), White (16.4%), African American (14.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 89.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highlands High is 17.7. 3 high schools in the Twin Rivers Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Highlands High employs 41.8 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highlands High:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands High 1525^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Highlands High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Twin Rivers Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Twin Rivers Unified 1122^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Highlands High?

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Rank History for Highlands High

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Rank History for all students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2009	75.54	182^nd	2238	91.9%
2010	31.19	1246^th	2281	45.4%
2011	31.88	1258^th	2367	46.9%
2012	27.28	1381^st	2354	41.3%
2013	32.28	1252^nd	2426	48.4%
2015	48.34	1014^th	1994	49.1%
2016	48.06	1044^th	2039	48.8%
2017	31.05	1362^nd	2021	32.6%
2018	44.76	1124^th	2017	44.3%
2019	30.77	1416^th	2133	33.6%
2022	26.14	1508^th	2123	29.0%
2023	21.61	1652^nd	2348	29.6%
2024	26.20	1525^th	2323	34.4%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	10.71	702^nd	804	12.7%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.40	739^th	938	21.2%
2019	30.42	755^th	941	19.8%
2022	41.47	490^th	1044	53.1%
2023	39.86	472^nd	1323	64.3%
2024	32.89	717^th	1350	46.9%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	20.28	1360^th	1547	12.1%
2024	27.23	1086^th	1534	29.2%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	55.05	834^th	1862	55.2%
2019	34.22	1272^nd	1937	34.3%
2022	29.43	1369^th	1943	29.5%
2023	25.89	1524^th	2247	32.2%
2024	31.17	1396^th	2235	37.5%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	23.90	226^th	290	22.1%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.95	1294^th	1760	26.5%
2019	25.08	1360^th	1833	25.8%
2022	24.23	1409^th	1858	24.2%
2023	18.19	1634^th	2118	22.9%
2024	23.71	1504^th	2098	28.3%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	30.14	702^nd	1052	33.3%
2019	19.02	1040^th	1117	6.9%
2022	21.40	1066^th	1161	8.2%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	10.16	158^th	168	6.0%
2023	17.56	201^st	233	13.7%
2024	22.03	199^th	234	15.0%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	55.75	804^th	1834	56.2%
2019	32.20	1240^th	1880	34.0%
2022	25.04	1404^th	1916	26.7%
2023	23.39	1518^th	2207	31.2%
2024	26.72	1418^th	2172	34.7%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	7.25	682^nd	731	6.7%
2024	9.83	637^th	712	10.5%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	23.18	457^th	582	21.5%
2019	28.09	419^th	592	29.2%
2022	30.09	364^th	522	30.3%
2023	11.03	691^st	720	4.0%
2024	53.13	269^th	721	62.7%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	59.89	689^th	1742	60.4%
2019	31.48	1245^th	1814	31.4%
2022	23.49	1424^th	1861	23.5%
2023	26.16	1462^nd	2142	31.7%
2024	26.61	1437^th	2125	32.4%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Highlands High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.37	900^th	1173	23.3%
2019	25.43	936^th	1222	23.4%
2022	20.34	980^th	1204	18.6%
2023	10.79	1231^st	1434	14.2%
2024	8.64	1234^th	1406	12.2%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California 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.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Highlands High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2009	539	237	106	424	9	14	225	0	1554
2010	517	246	80	443	7	10	82	0	1385
2011	406	186	76	365	5	9	53	0	1100
2012	289	147	63	312	3	4	44	0	862
2013	261	147	60	366	9	2	46	0	891
2014	228	114	50	374	9	3	45	0	823
2015	190	128	46	396	11	9	41	0	821
2016	199	109	48	385	12	10	45	0	808
2017	177	102	44	385	3	7	40	0	758
2018	151	84	47	399	5	9	48	0	743
2019	155	106	51	409	7	13	49	0	790
2020	145	92	48	392	6	9	47	0	739
2021	144	103	50	374	8	9	48	1	737
2022	137	88	53	382	7	7	49	0	723
2023	122	108	58	393	6	5	51	1	744

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 Highlands High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	1554	74.4	18.4	69.7
2010	1385	71.0	19.5	75.6
2011	1100	n/a	n/a	75.8
2012	862	42.0	20.5	n/a
2013	891	46.0	19.3	75.5
2014	823	39.3	20.9	87.7
2015	821	38.0	21.6	81
2016	808	38.0	21.2	78.6
2017	758	37.0	20.4	80.2
2018	743	38.0	19.5	85.6
2019	790	34.6	22.8	80.3
2020	739	n/a	n/a	91.5
2021	737	35.9	20.5	92.8
2022	723	39.0	18.5	88
2023	744	41.8	17.7	89.5

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 Highlands High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	1554	74.4	18.4	69.7
2010	1385	71.0	19.5	75.6
2011	1100	n/a	n/a	75.8
2012	862	42.0	20.5	n/a
2013	891	46.0	19.3	75.5
2014	823	39.3	20.9	87.7
2015	821	38.0	21.6	81
2016	808	38.0	21.2	78.6
2017	758	37.0	20.4	80.2
2018	743	38.0	19.5	85.6
2019	790	34.6	22.8	80.3
2020	739	n/a	n/a	91.5
2021	737	35.9	20.5	92.8
2022	723	39.0	18.5	88
2023	744	41.8	17.7	89.5

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.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highlands High

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 1416^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1652^nd of 2348 High schools	4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Highlands High)	35.4	27.5	7.9%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Twin Rivers Unified)	47	39.7	7.3%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Highlands High)	19.6	13.8	5.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (Twin Rivers Unified)	19	12.2	6.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (Highlands High)	9.9	7.8	2%
11th Grade Science (Twin Rivers Unified)	17.6	15.4	2.2%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	31.7	1.3%
12th Grade Science (Highlands High)	11.7	10.5	1.3%
12th Grade Science (Twin Rivers Unified)	12	13.4	1.4%
12th Grade Science (California)	25.6	26.8	1.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	790	744	5.8%
African American	106	108	1.9%
American Indian	7	6	14.3%
Asian	51	58	13.7%
Hispanic	409	393	3.9%
Pacific Islander	13	5	61.5%
White	155	122	21.3%
Two or More Races	49	51	4.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	80.3%	89.5%	9.3%

Schools Near Highlands High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
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	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Highlands High	Public	9-12	6601 Guthrie Way	North Highlands	95660	Sacramento County	Twin Rivers Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 566-3465	744	42	17.7	89.5%	122 (16.4%)	108 (14.5%)	393 (52.8%)	58 (7.8%)	6 (0.8%)	5 (0.7%)	51 (6.9%)	26.2	1525^th of 2323 public high schools	34.4%		21.6	1652^nd of 2348 public high schools	29.6%	127		12.1	0.0	11.2			28.2	28.2			19.5	19.5
Miles P. Richmond	Public	9-12	4330 Keema Ave.	North Highlands	95660	Sacramento County	Twin Rivers Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 566-3495	61	6	9.9	72.1%	14 (23.0%)	8 (13.1%)	31 (50.8%)	2 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (9.8%)								(n/a)
Pacific Career and Technology High	Public	9-12	6560 Melrose Dr.	North Highlands	95660	Sacramento County	Twin Rivers Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 566-2715	107	13	8.5	93.5%	8 (7.5%)	20 (18.7%)	63 (58.9%)	10 (9.3%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	4 (3.7%)	11.3	1933^rd of 2323 public high schools	16.8%		14.6	1852^nd of 2348 public high schools	21.1%	81		6.9		5.9			17.2	17.2			0.0	0.0
Foothill High	Public	9-12	5000 McCloud Dr.	Sacramento	95842	Sacramento County	Twin Rivers Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 566-3445	1,251	55	22.7	91.2%	233 (18.6%)	198 (15.8%)	539 (43.1%)	156 (12.5%)	6 (0.5%)	20 (1.6%)	96 (7.7%)	23.9	1580^th of 2323 public high schools	32.0%		24.8	1572^nd of 2348 public high schools	33.0%	8		8.0	3.9	7.7			36.3	36.3			10.8	10.8
Antelope High	Public	9-12	7801 Titan Dr.	Antelope	95843	Sacramento County	Roseville Joint Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 726-1400	1,741	72	24.3	41.5%	665 (38.2%)	138 (7.9%)	445 (25.6%)	242 (13.9%)	10 (0.6%)	29 (1.7%)	208 (11.9%)	57	698^th of 2323 public high schools	70.0%		68.8	503^rd of 2348 public high schools	78.6%	195		29.5	6.7	28.6			53.4	53.4			28.7	28.7	$7,338
La Entrada Continuation High	Public	9-12	5320 Hemlock St.	Sacramento	95841	Sacramento County	San Juan Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 979-8050	113	5	21.8	64.6%	41 (36.3%)	22 (19.5%)	36 (31.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	3 (2.7%)	6 (5.3%)	12.3	1893^rd of 2323 public high schools	18.5%		10.4	2034^th of 2348 public high schools	13.4%	141		3.2	8.3	6.0			12.5	12.5			0.0	0.0	$15,080
Laurel Ruff Transition	Public	12	5325 Garfield Ave.	Sacramento	95841	Sacramento County	San Juan Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 971-7586	145	13	10.9	40.0%	76 (52.4%)	16 (11.0%)	31 (21.4%)	10 (6.9%)	2 (1.4%)	2 (1.4%)	8 (5.5%)								(n/a)													$25,359
Center High	Public	9-12	3111 Center Ct. Ln.	Antelope	95843	Sacramento County	Center Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 338-6420	1,312	66	19.7	47.9%	444 (33.8%)	145 (11.1%)	422 (32.2%)	156 (11.9%)	10 (0.8%)	16 (1.2%)	113 (8.6%)	64.6	554^th of 2323 public high schools	76.2%		54.5	770^th of 2348 public high schools	67.2%	216			32.6	32.6			57.8	57.8			28.6	28.6	$6,787
Options for Youth-San Juan	Public, Charter	7-12	5825 Windmill Way	Carmichael	95608	Sacramento County	Options for Youth-San Juan District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 485-5111	796	30	26.1	78.8%	274 (34.4%)	112 (14.1%)	300 (37.7%)	18 (2.3%)	6 (0.8%)	4 (0.5%)	70 (8.8%)	24	1576^th of 2323 public high schools	32.2%		25.7	1540^th of 2348 public high schools	34.4%	36	14.6		25.0	20.7	14.6	20.8	34.0	27.9	7.1	6.3	4.1	5.1
McClellan High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	8725 Watt Ave.	Antelope	95843	Sacramento County	Center Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(916) 338-6440	99	5	18.8	68.7%	28 (28.3%)	8 (8.1%)	48 (48.5%)	3 (3.0%)	1 (1.0%)	3 (3.0%)	7 (7.1%)	11.9	1903^rd of 2323 public high schools	18.1%		9.2	2122^nd of 2348 public high schools	9.6%	219			6.1	6.1			9.1	9.1			0.0	0.0	$12,377

Highlands High

Highlands High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Twin Rivers Unified:

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Rank History for Highlands High

Rank History for all students at Highlands High

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Highlands High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Highlands High

Rank History for Special Education students at Highlands High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highlands High

Rank History for Homeless students at Highlands High

Rank History for Female students at Highlands High

Rank History for Disabled students at Highlands High

Rank History for Military Connected students at Highlands High

Rank History for Male students at Highlands High

Rank History for Asian students at Highlands High

Rank History for African American students at Highlands High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highlands High

Rank History for White students at Highlands High

Enrollment information for Highlands High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Highlands High

Student/Teacher Ratio Highlands High

Impact of COVID-19 on Highlands High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Highlands High

Frequently Asked Questions about Highlands High

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