Is Highlands Middle School a good school?

Yes. Highlands Middle School ranks in the top 5.4% of Illinois middle schools.

How many students attend Highlands Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 426 students attended Highlands Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Highlands Middle School?

Students at Highlands Middle School are 77% White, 15% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 1% African American.

What high school do graduates of Highlands Middle School attend?

Students who attend Highlands Middle School usually go on to attend Lyons Township High School

Highlands Middle School

Summary:

Highlands Middle School is a public middle school located in La Grange Highlands, Illinois, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 426 students. The school is part of the LaGrange Highlands School District 106, which is ranked 22 out of 813 school districts in Illinois and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highlands Middle School consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Illinois, with a statewide ranking between 19 and 106 over the past 10 years. The school's students perform exceptionally well on standardized tests, with 77% proficient or better in English Language Arts and 58% proficient or better in Mathematics, significantly higher than the state averages. Highlands Middle School's performance is particularly strong in specific student subgroups, such as Hispanic students (ranked 27th out of 643 Illinois middle schools) and Special Education students (ranked 33rd out of 805 Illinois middle schools). The school also maintains a low chronic absenteeism rate and spends between $15,857 and $16,969 per student, higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, Highlands Middle School outperforms many of them in academic achievement, with higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Schools like Clarendon Hills Middle School, Butler Junior High School, and McClure Junior High School provide strong competition, while some schools, such as Wm F Gurrie Middle School, have lower academic performance. Highlands Middle School has maintained a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past 10 school years, demonstrating its consistent level of excellence in educational outcomes.

Detail:

Public 5-8

1850 W Plainfield Rd
La Grange Highlands, IL 60525-3730

(708) 579-6890

District: LaGrange Highlands School District 106

SchoolDigger Rank:
74^th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,115

Students who attend Highlands Middle School usually attend:

High:

Lyons Township High School

Feeder schools for Highlands Middle School:

Elementary:

Highlands Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.6

Number of students: 426

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.8%

Hispanic:

14.6%

Two or more races:

4.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 2.3%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Highlands Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Highlands Middle School ranks better than 94.6% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 93.64. (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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highlands Middle School is $17,115.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highlands Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands Middle School 74^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Highlands Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

LaGrange Highlands School District 106:

SchoolDigger ranks LaGrange Highlands School District 106 22^nd of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Highlands Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	90.77	60^th	1185	94.9%
2004	93.65	19^th	1204	98.4%
2005	92.39	24^th	1209	98.0%
2006	89.94	33^rd	1272	97.4%
2007	87.10	58^th	1287	95.5%
2008	84.33	109^th	1293	91.6%
2009	83.42	125^th	1318	90.5%
2010	86.22	72^nd	1327	94.6%
2011	88.13	43^rd	1344	96.8%
2012	87.85	50^th	1365	96.3%
2013	92.63	50^th	1367	96.3%
2014	93.81	39^th	1322	97.0%
2015	98.70	19^th	1302	98.5%
2016	97.08	24^th	1294	98.1%
2017	96.95	33^rd	1293	97.4%
2018	94.50	51^st	1293	96.1%
2019	94.63	51^st	1356	96.2%
2022	89.68	106^th	1369	92.3%
2023	94.33	56^th	1367	95.9%
2024	93.64	74^th	1363	94.6%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	91.57	33^rd	792	95.8%
2022	85.06	46^th	781	94.1%
2023	94.70	33^rd	805	95.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	95.85	35^th	1226	97.1%
2019	93.38	47^th	1276	96.3%
2022	90.15	100^th	1286	92.2%
2023	94.72	44^th	1275	96.5%
2024	92.82	67^th	1251	94.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	90.53	21^st	674	96.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	89.50	95^th	1223	92.2%
2019	94.48	50^th	1296	96.1%
2022	87.31	116^th	1286	91.0%
2023	92.68	66^th	1292	94.9%
2024	93.34	70^th	1264	94.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	86.21	45^th	590	92.4%
2019	94.75	10^th	639	98.4%
2022	89.60	45^th	662	93.2%
2023	87.86	40^th	661	93.9%
2024	92.70	27^th	643	95.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	90.29	50^th	889	94.4%
2019	88.31	57^th	905	93.7%
2022	80.18	113^th	898	87.4%
2023	89.13	57^th	895	93.6%
2024	87.67	72^nd	875	91.8%

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

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board 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: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Sunday, March 18, 2018

Highlands is a great school! It is a great place for students to learn, with friendly teachers and staff in a friendly environment. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Highlands Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	192	n/a	7	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	199
1990	203	n/a	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	204
1991	209	2	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	213
1992	224	3	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	230
1993	253	2	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	260
1994	255	2	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	264
1995	267	3	3	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	280
1996	267	3	3	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	280
1997	269	1	4	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	280
1998	265	1	3	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	274
1999	296	1	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	301
2000	303	0	2	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	312
2001	312	1	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	318
2002	298	2	1	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	318
2003	298	2	1	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	318
2004	305	2	2	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	324
2005	289	4	4	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	311
2006	289	7	5	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	315
2007	285	5	8	22	1	n/a	n/a	0	321
2008	293	2	6	23	1	n/a	n/a	2	327
2009	302	3	8	15	1	n/a	n/a	8	337
2010	288	1	11	23	0	n/a	n/a	6	329
2011	281	4	8	36	3	0	11	0	343
2012	267	3	9	30	2	0	8	0	319
2013	282	2	6	35	2	0	8	0	335
2014	267	2	4	28	1	0	5	0	307
2015	261	4	6	33	0	0	7	0	311
2016	245	4	9	26	0	0	6	0	290
2017	335	3	13	45	0	0	7	0	403
2018	326	3	12	50	0	0	4	0	395
2019	299	3	15	53	0	0	8	0	378
2020	304	4	15	50	0	0	8	0	381
2021	307	5	15	51	0	0	12	0	390
2022	324	5	19	65	0	1	18	0	432
2023	327	5	14	62	0	1	17	0	426

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 Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	199	17.0	11.7	n/a
1990	204	17.0	12.0	n/a
1991	213	17.0	12.5	n/a
1992	230	17.0	13.5	n/a
1993	260	19.0	13.7	n/a
1994	264	18.0	14.7	n/a
1995	280	18.8	14.9	n/a
1996	280	18.8	14.9	n/a
1997	280	18.8	14.9	n/a
1998	274	19.8	13.8	n/a
1999	301	20.3	14.8	n/a
2000	312	22.0	14.2	n/a
2001	318	19.8	16.1	n/a
2002	318	23.0	13.8	0
2003	318	23.0	13.8	0
2004	324	22.7	14.3	0
2005	311	23.4	13.3	0
2006	315	27.4	11.5	0
2007	321	26.0	12.3	0
2008	327	24.0	13.6	0
2009	337	28.4	11.9	0
2010	329	29.0	11.3	0
2011	343	29.0	11.8	0
2012	319	28.0	11.3	2.2
2013	335	28.1	11.9	3.6
2014	307	25.9	11.8	6.2
2015	311	24.0	12.9	7.4
2016	290	25.0	11.6	7.9
2017	403	31.6	12.7	6.2
2018	395	33.9	11.6	4.1
2019	378	32.6	11.5	4.2
2020	381	33.3	11.4	5.8
2021	390	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	432	33.2	12.9	2.3
2023	426	33.6	12.6	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 Highlands Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	199	17.0	11.7	n/a
1990	204	17.0	12.0	n/a
1991	213	17.0	12.5	n/a
1992	230	17.0	13.5	n/a
1993	260	19.0	13.7	n/a
1994	264	18.0	14.7	n/a
1995	280	18.8	14.9	n/a
1996	280	18.8	14.9	n/a
1997	280	18.8	14.9	n/a
1998	274	19.8	13.8	n/a
1999	301	20.3	14.8	n/a
2000	312	22.0	14.2	n/a
2001	318	19.8	16.1	n/a
2002	318	23.0	13.8	0
2003	318	23.0	13.8	0
2004	324	22.7	14.3	0
2005	311	23.4	13.3	0
2006	315	27.4	11.5	0
2007	321	26.0	12.3	0
2008	327	24.0	13.6	0
2009	337	28.4	11.9	0
2010	329	29.0	11.3	0
2011	343	29.0	11.8	0
2012	319	28.0	11.3	2.2
2013	335	28.1	11.9	3.6
2014	307	25.9	11.8	6.2
2015	311	24.0	12.9	7.4
2016	290	25.0	11.6	7.9
2017	403	31.6	12.7	6.2
2018	395	33.9	11.6	4.1
2019	378	32.6	11.5	4.2
2020	381	33.3	11.4	5.8
2021	390	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	432	33.2	12.9	2.3
2023	426	33.6	12.6	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.

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