Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Highland Elementary

Q: Is Highland Elementary a good school?

Highland Elementary ranks 463 rd of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

463^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Highland Elementary is a public elementary school in Silver Spring, Maryland, serving 510 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district, which is ranked 8th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Highland Elementary has a higher per-student spending and lower student-teacher ratio compared to the district and state averages, the school faces some unique challenges. It has consistently higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 23.2% to 27.5% in recent years. Additionally, Highland Elementary's proficiency rates in MCAP Mathematics and English Language Arts are generally lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rate in MCAP Mathematics was 34.7%, compared to 35.7% for the district and 26.5% for the state. Similarly, its proficiency rate in MCAP English Language Arts was 41.8%, compared to 57% for the district and 50.8% for the state.

When compared to nearby schools in the same district, Highland Elementary generally underperforms. For instance, in the 2024-2025 school year, its proficiency rates were lower than those of Oakland Terrace Elementary. However, Highland Elementary's performance is still better than some of the other nearby schools, such as Georgian Forest Elementary and Harmony Hills Elementary, which have even lower proficiency rates.

509

Students ?

12.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,403

Per pupil spending ?

59.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3100 Medway St
Silver Spring, MD 20902-2225

(240) 740-1770

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Students who attend Highland Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Newport Mill Middle
High:	Albert Einstein High
	John F. Kennedy High
	Montgomery Blair High
	Northwood High
	More...
	Wheaton High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

81.9%

White:

5.9%

Asian:

5.5%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Highland Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 60th percentile in 2018 → 46th in 2025

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 60th-percentile peak (2018) to 46th (2025)

!Science scores 14 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg46%

Maryland avg38%

463^rd of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

From bottom 37% (2015) to bottom 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

90^th of 131Elementary Schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools

8^th of 25Montgomery County Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2025	43.4	463 of 865	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.8	419 of 859	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.9	372 of 855	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.6	414 of 862	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	30.8	472 of 802	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.4	350 of 853	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.0	346 of 857	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	49.0	398 of 847	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.5	352 of 845	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	33.3	543 of 859	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	47.0	543 of 867	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	41.7	546 of 847	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	56.7	427 of 857	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.9	368 of 853	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	68.1	301 of 855	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	76.6	181 of 850	78.7%	★★★★☆
2008	78.3	157 of 838	81.3%	★★★★☆
2007	67.5	280 of 818	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	79.5	150 of 804	81.3%	★★★★☆
2005	79.5	144 of 805	82.1%	★★★★☆
2004	79.1	150 of 803	81.3%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	38.1	307 of 504	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	40.1	57 of 115	50.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	39.2	387 of 796	51.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	47.5	111 of 347	68.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	66.7	75 of 546	86.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	23.8	566 of 788	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)86th percentile+45 vs school

Hispanic (2021)68th percentile+27 vs school

Female (2021)51st percentile+10 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)50th percentile+9 vs school

African American (2021)39th percentile~ school

Male (2021)28th percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts42%-9 vs state

Mathematics35%+8 vs state

Science11%-14 vs state

3.5

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

Rate Highland Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, May 10, 2018

Great staff and Highland has the smallest class sizes in the county. I would highly recommend this school to anyone in the area! Close Quote

Schools Near Highland Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAP Mathematics (2025)				MCAP English Language Arts (2025)				MCAP Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3100 Medway St	Silver Spring	20902	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-1770	509	41	12.3	59.9%	30 (5.9%)	27 (5.3%)	417 (81.9%)	28 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	43.4	463^rd of 865 public elementary schools	46.5%		44.8	419^th of 859 public elementary schools	51.2%	44	41.9	44.4	18.5	34.7	49.4	43.5	32.5	41.8	11.3	$23,403	$3,438	$19,966
Weller Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3301 Weller Rd	Silver Spring	20906	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 287-8601	691	60	11.4	65.3%	26 (3.8%)	48 (6.9%)	580 (83.9%)	28 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.2%)	26.4	592^nd of 865 public elementary schools	31.6%		21	639^th of 859 public elementary schools	25.6%	47	33.0	25.0	18.9	25.2	32.7	29.0	21.4	27.3	11.6	$23,572	$3,130	$20,442
Sargent Shriver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12518 Greenly St	Silver Spring	20906	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-6330	697	58	12.1	79.6%	29 (4.2%)	52 (7.5%)	576 (82.6%)	34 (4.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	19.2	698^th of 865 public elementary schools	19.3%		19.6	659^th of 859 public elementary schools	23.3%	39	20.3	14.9	15.2	16.9	28.1	29.2	21.4	26.6	8.6	$21,869	$2,808	$19,061
Rock View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3901 Denfeld Ave	Kensington	20895	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-0920	588	53	11.1	50.2%	138 (23.5%)	68 (11.6%)	309 (52.6%)	47 (8.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.9%)	39.3	488^th of 865 public elementary schools	43.6%		33.4	503^rd of 859 public elementary schools	41.4%	15	37.4	31.0	25.0	31.1	38.2	37.2	34.8	36.7	19.6	$24,675	$1,546	$23,129
Viers Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11711 Joseph Mill Rd	Silver Spring	20906	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-1000	556	51	10.8	69.6%	73 (13.1%)	56 (10.1%)	377 (67.8%)	29 (5.2%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.1%)	26.2	595^th of 865 public elementary schools	31.2%		32.7	511^th of 859 public elementary schools	40.5%	84	33.8	18.3	22.0	24.3	28.6	29.1	27.1	28.4	11.9	$27,802	$3,313	$24,490
Arcola Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1820 Franwall Ave	Silver Spring	20902	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 287-8585	747	58	12.9	57.4%	39 (5.2%)	174 (23.3%)	494 (66.1%)	27 (3.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.6%)	24.7	615^th of 865 public elementary schools	28.9%		22.1	621^st of 859 public elementary schools	27.7%	6	26.3	25.5	15.7	22.3	32.1	26.9	28.8	29.3	9.2	$22,848	$2,466	$20,382
Glenallan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12520 Heurich Rd	Silver Spring	20902	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-0760	679	57	11.8	61.7%	59 (8.7%)	163 (24.0%)	342 (50.4%)	68 (10.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (6.5%)	36.1	505^th of 865 public elementary schools	41.6%		36	479^th of 859 public elementary schools	44.2%	26	44.0	19.8	19.4	29.1	46.0	36.4	24.6	37.3	13.0	$20,690	$1,288	$19,402
Oakland Terrace Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2720 Plyers Mill Rd	Silver Spring	20902	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-4880	500	43	11.6	30.2%	186 (37.2%)	76 (15.2%)	182 (36.4%)	19 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.0%)	72.2	235^th of 865 public elementary schools	72.8%		66.8	264^th of 859 public elementary schools	69.3%	29	50.0	52.5	43.5	48.5	62.1	69.5	48.5	59.6	27.9	$24,013	$1,432	$22,581
Georgian Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3100 Regina Dr	Silver Spring	20906	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-0720	600	48	12.6	57.8%	20 (3.3%)	98 (16.3%)	451 (75.2%)	18 (3.0%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (1.0%)	22.8	646^th of 865 public elementary schools	25.3%		23.7	600^th of 859 public elementary schools	30.2%	46	22.2	18.9	21.4	21.1	27.0	29.2	24.2	26.9	14.5	$21,633	$2,847	$18,786
Wheaton Woods Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4510 Faroe Pl	Rockville	20853	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-0220	556	52	10.7	64.7%	23 (4.1%)	125 (22.5%)	384 (69.1%)	14 (2.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.4%)	39.6	484^th of 865 public elementary schools	44.0%		39.2	456^th of 859 public elementary schools	46.9%	28	44.7	27.0	42.3	37.6	34.9	28.2	30.0	31.1	16.9	$26,025	$3,027	$22,997

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Highland Elementary?

Students at Highland Elementary are 82% Hispanic, 6% White, 6% Asian, 5% African American, 1% Two or more races.

Is Highland Elementary a good school?

Highland Elementary ranks 463^rd of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Highland Elementary in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Highland Elementary attend?

Students who attend Highland Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Newport Mill Middle
High : Albert Einstein High
High : John F. Kennedy High
High : Montgomery Blair High
High : Northwood High
High : Wheaton High

How many students attend Highland Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 509 students attended Highland Elementary.

Rate Highland Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MDMaryland Elementary School Rankings

MDMaryland District Rankings

Schools in Silver Spring, MD

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Highland Elementary!

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