Highland Middle School

Q: Is Highland Middle School a good school?

Highland Middle School ranks 125 th of 485 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Highland Middle School is a public middle school serving 726 students in grades 6-8 in Highland, Indiana, which is part of the School Town of Highland district. The school has a relatively diverse student population, with nearly half of the students identifying as Hispanic or African American. Academically, Highland Middle School's performance on ILEARN tests is generally on par with or slightly above the district and state averages in both English Language Arts and Math.

One area of concern is the school's chronic absenteeism rate, which has decreased from 19.3% in 2021-2022 to 16.2% in 2022-2023, but is still higher than the state average. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch has increased from 36.57% in 2021-2022 to 50.83% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students. When compared to nearby middle schools, Highland Middle School generally performs better academically than schools in the Gary Community School Corp and School City of Hammond districts, but lags behind the higher-performing schools in the Lake Central School Corporation and School Town of Munster districts.

Highland Middle School's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 85th out of 485 Indiana middle schools in 2014-2015 to 176th out of 483 in 2020-2021. Its current ranking for the 2023-2024 school year is 125th out of 485, indicating a solid performance compared to other middle schools in the state. The school's spending per student has also increased from $8,063 in 2018-2019 to $9,359 in 2021-2022, suggesting a commitment to investing in the school's resources and programs. However, the student-teacher ratio has increased from 16.4 in 2020-2021 to 18.3 in 2022-2023, which is slightly higher than the nearby schools in the Lake Central and School Town of Munster districts.

Detail:

Public 6-8

2941 41st St
Highland, IN 46322

(219) 922-5620

District: School Town of Highland

SchoolDigger Rank:
125^th of 485 Indiana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,359

Students who attend Highland Middle School usually attend:

High:

Highland High School

Feeder schools for Highland Middle School:

Elementary:	Allen J Warren Elementary School
	Judith Morton Johnston Elementary
	Mildred Merkley Elementary School
	Southridge Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.3

Number of students: 726

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.2%

Hispanic:

34.2%

African American:

12.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50.8%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Highland Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Highland Middle School ranks better than 74.2% of middle schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.93. (See more...)

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 Highland Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (49.2%), Hispanic (34.2%), African American (12.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 50.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland Middle School is 18.3. (See more...)

Compare Highland Middle School employs 39.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highland Middle School is $9,359.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Highland Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Highland Middle School 125^th of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See Highland Middle School in the ranking list.)

School Town of Highland:

SchoolDigger ranks School Town of Highland 105^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Highland Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	76.67	57^th	370	84.6%
2006	70.26	97^th	375	74.1%
2007	67.50	112^th	382	70.7%
2008	76.31	69^th	392	82.4%
2009	85.64	30^th	423	92.9%
2010	81.60	41^st	428	90.4%
2011	83.87	40^th	451	91.1%
2012	72.01	101^st	447	77.4%
2013	66.77	146^th	444	67.1%
2014	65.80	160^th	470	66.0%
2015	76.40	85^th	485	82.5%
2016	75.77	100^th	494	79.8%
2017	68.12	140^th	472	70.3%
2018	65.26	166^th	473	64.9%
2019	67.42	143^rd	470	69.6%
2021	62.25	176^th	483	63.6%
2022	66.10	160^th	490	67.3%
2023	66.15	151^st	489	69.1%
2024	71.93	125^th	485	74.2%

See the entire list of Indiana Middle School Rankings!

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

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Highland Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	462	0	5	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	484
1989	447	2	6	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	473
1990	452	4	5	24	0	n/a	n/a	0	485
1991	494	3	6	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	522
1992	450	1	6	19	1	n/a	n/a	0	477
1993	485	1	4	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	507
1994	497	4	4	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	540
1995	524	0	1	16	4	n/a	n/a	1	546
1996	524	0	1	16	4	n/a	n/a	1	546
1997	486	4	4	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	517
1998	457	6	4	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	488
1999	471	5	6	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	487
2000	472	5	4	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	491
2001	481	6	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	497
2002	510	6	3	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	554
2003	510	6	3	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	554
2004	509	8	7	41	0	n/a	n/a	0	565
2005	488	17	14	33	0	n/a	n/a	0	552
2006	485	21	10	42	0	n/a	n/a	0	558
2007	481	16	10	57	0	n/a	n/a	13	577
2008	432	19	13	75	1	n/a	n/a	21	561
2009	420	23	7	73	2	n/a	n/a	12	537
2010	437	21	9	87	1	n/a	n/a	20	575
2011	377	30	7	121	3	2	13	0	553
2012	345	25	6	128	2	0	12	0	518
2013	519	45	13	184	2	0	22	0	785
2014	491	46	15	196	1	0	30	0	779
2015	458	39	18	207	1	0	28	0	751
2016	452	41	17	225	1	0	23	0	759
2017	441	40	12	218	1	0	22	0	734
2018	432	41	6	220	0	0	23	0	722
2019	383	51	5	235	0	0	22	0	696
2020	370	50	9	238	1	0	26	0	694
2021	353	72	12	225	1	0	21	0	684
2022	352	67	9	232	1	0	28	0	689
2023	357	88	9	248	0	0	24	0	726

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	484	25.7	18.8	7
1989	473	23.1	20.4	3
1990	485	22.1	21.9	2.7
1991	522	25.3	20.6	4
1992	477	25.5	18.7	5.5
1993	507	27.2	18.6	6.1
1994	540	26.3	20.5	8.3
1995	546	27.4	19.9	6.8
1996	546	27.4	19.9	6.8
1997	517	27.3	18.9	6
1998	488	26.7	18.3	8
1999	487	24.9	19.6	8.6
2000	491	25.0	19.6	8.1
2001	497	26.3	18.9	8.7
2002	554	24.1	23.0	12.6
2003	554	24.1	23.0	12.6
2004	565	25.4	22.2	15.9
2005	552	25.6	21.6	18.5
2006	558	25.2	22.1	16.8
2007	577	n/a	n/a	12.9
2008	561	26.5	21.2	22.8
2009	537	27.1	19.8	24.6
2010	575	27.0	21.2	28.6
2011	553	26.8	20.5	29.7
2012	518	n/a	n/a	34.9
2013	785	51.0	15.3	35.4
2014	779	48.0	16.2	33.8
2015	751	47.0	15.9	34.4
2016	759	44.0	17.2	35.6
2017	734	45.0	16.3	33.9
2018	722	47.6	15.1	39.9
2019	696	46.2	15.0	39.9
2020	694	41.0	16.9	41.8
2021	684	41.4	16.4	40.5
2022	689	41.0	16.8	36.6
2023	726	39.5	18.3	50.8

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	484	25.7	18.8	7
1989	473	23.1	20.4	3
1990	485	22.1	21.9	2.7
1991	522	25.3	20.6	4
1992	477	25.5	18.7	5.5
1993	507	27.2	18.6	6.1
1994	540	26.3	20.5	8.3
1995	546	27.4	19.9	6.8
1996	546	27.4	19.9	6.8
1997	517	27.3	18.9	6
1998	488	26.7	18.3	8
1999	487	24.9	19.6	8.6
2000	491	25.0	19.6	8.1
2001	497	26.3	18.9	8.7
2002	554	24.1	23.0	12.6
2003	554	24.1	23.0	12.6
2004	565	25.4	22.2	15.9
2005	552	25.6	21.6	18.5
2006	558	25.2	22.1	16.8
2007	577	n/a	n/a	12.9
2008	561	26.5	21.2	22.8
2009	537	27.1	19.8	24.6
2010	575	27.0	21.2	28.6
2011	553	26.8	20.5	29.7
2012	518	n/a	n/a	34.9
2013	785	51.0	15.3	35.4
2014	779	48.0	16.2	33.8
2015	751	47.0	15.9	34.4
2016	759	44.0	17.2	35.6
2017	734	45.0	16.3	33.9
2018	722	47.6	15.1	39.9
2019	696	46.2	15.0	39.9
2020	694	41.0	16.9	41.8
2021	684	41.4	16.4	40.5
2022	689	41.0	16.8	36.6
2023	726	39.5	18.3	50.8

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 School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$39 (0.5%)	$8,024 (99.5%)	$8,063
2020	$24 (0.3%)	$8,225 (99.7%)	$8,249
2021	$91 (1.0%)	$8,712 (99.0%)	$8,802
2022	$263 (2.8%)	$9,096 (97.2%)	$9,359

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland 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 143^rd of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 151^st of 489 Middle schools	0.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Highland Middle School)	62.5	49.6	12.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (School Town of Highland)	62.5	49.6	12.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (Highland Middle School)	56	50.8	5.2%
6th Grade Math (School Town of Highland)	56	50.8	5.2%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (Highland Middle School)	66.2	50.8	15.4%
6th Grade Science (School Town of Highland)	66.2	50.8	15.4%
6th Grade Science (Indiana)	48.6	38.2	10.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Highland Middle School)	44.5	41.3	3.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (School Town of Highland)	44.5	41.3	3.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Highland Middle School)	43.2	41.6	1.7%
7th Grade Math (School Town of Highland)	43.2	41.6	1.7%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Highland Middle School)	53.7	39.3	14.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (School Town of Highland)	53.7	39.3	14.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (Highland Middle School)	38	15.1	22.9%
8th Grade Math (School Town of Highland)	38	15.1	22.9%
8th Grade Math (Indiana)	38	31.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	696	726	4.3%
African American	51	88	72.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	9	80%
Hispanic	235	248	5.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	383	357	6.8%
Two or More Races	22	24	9.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	39.9%	50.8%	10.9%

Schools Near Highland Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)					ILEARN Math (2024)					ILEARN Social Studies (2024)	ILEARN Biology (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highland Middle School	Public	6-8	2941 41st St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	No	(219) 922-5620	726	40	18.3	50.8%	357 (49.2%)	88 (12.1%)	248 (34.2%)	9 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.3%)	71.9	125^th of 485 public middle schools	74.2%		66.1	151^st of 489 public middle schools	69.1%	26		55.1	42.9	47.1	48.3		57.1	37.8	25.8	40.6			$9,359	$263	$9,096
Wilbur Wright Middle School	Public	6-8	8650 Columbia Ave	Munster	46321	Lake County	School Town of Munster	No	No	No	No	(219) 836-6260	908	51	17.9	23.9%	440 (48.5%)	87 (9.6%)	268 (29.5%)	73 (8.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.2%)	95.2	13^th of 485 public middle schools	97.3%		92.8	25^th of 489 public middle schools	94.9%	12		61.3	74.8	66.4	67.5		65.0	56.8	56.8	59.5		100.0	$9,510	$506	$9,003
Charles N Scott Middle School	Public	7-8	3635 173rd St	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7340	738	40	18.4	74.8%	78 (10.6%)	344 (46.6%)	273 (37.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.7%)	11.4	437^th of 485 public middle schools	9.9%		8.5	458^th of 489 public middle schools	6.3%	21			19.1	17.2	18.1			6.4	1.4	3.8		24.0	$11,368	$1,743	$9,625
Lake Ridge New Technical Middle School	Public	5-8	3601 W 41st Ave	Gary	46408	Lake County	Lake Ridge New Technical Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 980-0730	476	27	17.9	91.8%	153 (32.1%)	165 (34.7%)	119 (25.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.4%)	7.6	469^th of 485 public middle schools	3.3%		11.8	439^th of 489 public middle schools	10.2%	30	13.8	12.0	10.4	11.1	11.8	9.6	2.9	4.7	1.7	4.5	5.3		$12,639	$2,884	$9,755
Michael Grimmer Middle School	Public	5-8	225 W 77th Ave	Schererville	46375	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 865-6985	754	47	15.9	32.1%	417 (55.3%)	78 (10.3%)	190 (25.2%)	27 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	38 (5.0%)	79.4	83^rd of 485 public middle schools	82.9%		78.8	91^st of 489 public middle schools	81.4%	8	56.4	56.3	60.0	54.0	56.9	50.3	44.8	43.2	30.1	42.4	56.4		$10,086	$120	$9,966
Kahler Middle School	Public	5-8	600 Joliet St	Dyer	46311	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 865-3535	922	54	17.0	27.7%	568 (61.6%)	58 (6.3%)	234 (25.4%)	19 (2.1%)	7 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (3.8%)	68.8	141^st of 485 public middle schools	70.9%		63.9	163^rd of 489 public middle schools	66.7%	22	48.0	45.4	45.0	47.6	46.5	58.9	44.4	33.9	34.3	42.3	58.5		$10,353	$383	$9,971
Henry W Eggers Middle School	Public	7-8	5825 Blaine Ave	Hammond	46320	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 933-2449	855	39	21.7	75.9%	51 (6.0%)	332 (38.8%)	430 (50.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (4.8%)	8.9	457^th of 485 public middle schools	5.8%		9.8	449^th of 489 public middle schools	8.2%	8			13.8	14.5	14.2			3.3	3.1	3.2			$11,137	$1,724	$9,413
Merrillville Intermediate School	Public	5-6	1400 W 61st Ave	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5306	855	60	14.3	71.3%	79 (9.2%)	549 (64.2%)	173 (20.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (5.7%)								(n/a)	25.6	28.5			27.2	31.3	26.5			28.8	24.2		$9,473	$1,287	$8,186
Joseph Block Middle School	Public	7-8	2700 Cardinal Dr	East Chicago	46312	Lake County	School City of East Chicago	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 391-4084	487	39	12.3	81.9%	7 (1.4%)	238 (48.9%)	232 (47.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	11.9	429^th of 485 public middle schools	11.5%		10.2	447^th of 489 public middle schools	8.6%	18			17.8	20.6	19.2			3.2	3.7	3.4			$13,396	$2,195	$11,201
Hal E Clark Middle School	Public	5-8	8915 W 93rd Ave	Saint John	46373	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 365-8507	1,069	57	18.8	23.1%	741 (69.3%)	70 (6.5%)	209 (19.6%)	16 (1.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (2.9%)	79.9	81^st of 485 public middle schools	83.3%		69.6	136^th of 489 public middle schools	72.2%	55	47.2	58.4	52.6	67.0	56.6	50.6	44.8	30.8	41.3	41.9	47.6		$9,687	$347	$9,340

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Highland Middle School?

Students at Highland Middle School are 49% White, 34% Hispanic, 12% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Highland Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 726 students attended Highland Middle School.

What district is Highland Middle School in?

School Town of Highland

What high school do graduates of Highland Middle School attend?

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

Is Highland Middle School a good school?

Highland Middle School ranks 125^th of 485 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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