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

Highland Middle School

Q: Is Highland Middle School a good school?

Highland Middle School ranks 392 nd of 873 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

392^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 873 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Better than 55% of Pennsylvania middle schools

Summary

Highland Middle School is a public middle school located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 699 students. The school is part of the Blackhawk School District, which is ranked 179 out of 606 school districts in Pennsylvania and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Highland Middle School is part of a relatively well-ranked district, the school itself faces some academic challenges. Its PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) math and English language arts proficiency rates are generally lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's overall math proficiency rate was 40.7%, compared to the district's 49.7% and the state's 41.7%. Similarly, the school's overall English language arts proficiency rate was 41.8%, compared to the district's 47.8% and the state's 48.5%. The school's performance is particularly weak in 8th-grade math, with only 16.3% of students proficient or better, compared to the district's 16.3% and the state's 30.5%.

Interestingly, Highland Middle School's academic performance varies significantly across different student subgroups. Female students and White students tend to perform better than their male and low socioeconomic status (SES) counterparts. In contrast, the school's low SES and disabled students rank much lower compared to other Pennsylvania middle schools. Additionally, the school has experienced a relatively high dropout rate, ranging from 0.0% to 1.6% over the past few years, which is higher than the state's average. When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Beaver Area Middle School, which is only 5.16 miles away and ranked 60 out of 873 Pennsylvania middle schools in the 2024-2025 school year, Highland Middle School's academic performance appears to be lagging behind.

698

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,554

Per pupil spending ?

36.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

402 Shenango Rd
Beaver Falls, PA 15010-1657

(724) 843-1700

District: Blackhawk School District

Students who attend Highland Middle School usually attend:

High:

Blackhawk High School

Feeder schools for Highland Middle School:

Elementary:

Patterson Primary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.4%

Hispanic:

3.6%

Two or more races:

3.4%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Highland Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2015 → 55th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Pennsylvania median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg49%

Pennsylvania avg45%

392^nd of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 10 pts since 2015

From top 35% (2015) to top 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

179^th of 606Blackhawk School District among Pennsylvania 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	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	54.3	392 of 873	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.6	408 of 891	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	390 of 893	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.8	254 of 883	71.2%	★★★★☆
2021	59.4	312 of 797	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.2	207 of 891	76.8%	★★★★☆
2018	74.0	215 of 861	75.0%	★★★★☆
2017	68.6	259 of 877	70.5%	★★★★☆
2016	72.0	233 of 870	73.2%	★★★★☆
2015	64.8	290 of 835	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	73.8	182 of 728	75.0%	★★★★☆
2013	74.1	191 of 758	74.8%	★★★★☆
2012	76.8	182 of 834	78.2%	★★★★☆
2011	78.6	138 of 825	83.3%	★★★★☆
2010	84.4	65 of 805	91.9%	★★★★★
2009	87.8	29 of 770	96.2%	★★★★★
2008	83.5	72 of 753	90.4%	★★★★★
2007	82.6	67 of 749	91.1%	★★★★★
2006	88.5	33 of 736	95.5%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	31.4	442 of 643	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	382 of 672	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.7	331 of 660	49.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	50.6	421 of 835	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.7	341 of 860	60.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	52.6	376 of 843	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.5	508 of 877	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.2	473 of 874	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	55.3	352 of 839	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.7	436 of 870	49.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	42.2	366 of 649	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.4	405 of 673	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.5	418 of 681	38.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)58th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)55th percentile~ school

Female (2025)50th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)44th percentile-11 vs school

Disabled (2025)31st percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts42%-7 vs state

Math41%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Highland Middle School and help other families decide.

Rate Highland Middle School

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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Highland Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSSA Math (2025)					PSSA English Language Arts (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	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highland Middle School	Public	5-8	402 Shenango Rd	Beaver Falls	15010	Beaver County	Blackhawk School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 843-1700	698	46	15.2	36.1%	631 (90.4%)	11 (1.6%)	25 (3.6%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.4%)	54.3	392^nd of 873 public middle schools	55.1%		55.6	408^th of 891 public middle schools	54.2%	16	49.7	51.1	44.8	16.3	40.7	39.6	42.1	64.0	21.7	41.8	$16,554	$1,913	$14,641
Beaver Falls Middle School	Public	6-8	1601 8th Ave	Beaver Falls	15010	Beaver County	Big Beaver Falls Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 846-5470	360	30	11.9	95.8%	162 (45.0%)	94 (26.1%)	18 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (23.6%)	36.2	558^th of 873 public middle schools	36.1%		47	497^th of 891 public middle schools	44.2%	61		32.7	19.6	19.7	23.8		36.1	39.2	35.2	36.7	$16,678	$2,703	$13,975
New Brighton Area Middle School	Public	6-8	901 Penn Ave	New Brighton	15066	Beaver County	New Brighton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 846-8100	290	29	10.1	97.2%	195 (67.2%)	24 (8.3%)	12 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (20.0%)	28.3	611^th of 873 public middle schools	30.0%		46.7	500^th of 891 public middle schools	43.9%	111		36.9	12.8	12.0	20.9		42.6	24.5	20.6	29.4	$21,243	$1,901	$19,342
Beaver Area Middle School	Public	7-8	Gypsy Glen Rd	Beaver	15009	Beaver County	Beaver Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 774-0253	291	20	14.6	27.8%	265 (91.1%)	2 (0.7%)	9 (3.1%)	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.4%)	91.7	60^th of 873 public middle schools	93.1%		86.2	88^th of 891 public middle schools	90.1%	28			57.0	49.3	53.0			74.8	69.5	72.1	$10,535	$336	$10,199
Rochester Middle School	Public	6-8	540 Reno Street	Rochester	15074	Beaver County	Rochester Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 775-7500	181	15	11.9	96.1%	114 (63.0%)	35 (19.3%)	10 (5.5%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	19 (10.5%)	28.5	609^th of 873 public middle schools	30.2%		55.7	407^th of 891 public middle schools	54.3%	202		21.5	17.8	9.5	16.9		33.4	35.0	38.1	35.1	$20,533	$1,093	$19,440
Central Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	1500 Allen Ave	Monaca	15061	Beaver County	Central Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 775-8200	504	44	11.5	36.7%	425 (84.3%)	41 (8.1%)	12 (2.4%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.2%)	51	424^th of 873 public middle schools	51.4%		47	496^th of 891 public middle schools	44.3%	72		31.6	25.5	41.3	32.7		37.4	43.5	47.5	42.8	$19,770	$335	$19,435
Riverside Middle School	Public	6-8	302 Country Club Dr	Ellwood City	16117	Beaver County	Riverside Beaver County School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 758-7512	307	19	16.5	55.4%	288 (93.8%)	3 (1.0%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.6%)	74.2	183^rd of 873 public middle schools	79.0%		80.6	131^st of 891 public middle schools	85.3%	52		33.7	47.7	47.6	42.8		52.5	69.4	57.7	59.3	$15,760	$507	$15,253
Hartman Intrmd School	Public	5-6	Crescent Avenue & 4th Street	Ellwood City	16117	Lawrence County	Ellwood City Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 758-3241	225	16	14.0	64.9%	207 (92.0%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.9%)								(n/a)	48.5	36.6			42.3	57.4	58.0			57.8	$9,466	$256	$9,210
Freedom Area Middle School	Public	5-8	1702 School Street	Freedom	15042	Beaver County	Freedom Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 775-7641	356	30	11.6	55.3%	320 (89.9%)	7 (2.0%)	8 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.6%)	40.6	522^nd of 873 public middle schools	40.2%		42.9	530^th of 891 public middle schools	40.5%	8	54.1	38.3	40.3	21.3	38.7	40.0	37.0	31.2	26.5	33.6	$16,132	$00	$16,132
Ambridge Area Middle School	Public	6-8	401 First Street	Freedom	15042	Beaver County	Ambridge Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 266-2833	500	31	16.1	95.0%	383 (76.6%)	69 (13.8%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (7.8%)	31.4	584^th of 873 public middle schools	33.1%		32	606^th of 891 public middle schools	32.0%	22		12.3	21.1	10.6	14.9		42.8	39.2	36.6	39.6	$15,392	$1,760	$13,632

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Middle School

Is Highland Middle School a good school?

Highland Middle School ranks 392^nd of 873 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Highland Middle School attend?

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

What district is Highland Middle School in?

Blackhawk School District

How many students attend Highland Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 698 students attended Highland Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Highland Middle School?

Students at Highland Middle School are 90% White, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Rate Highland Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

PAPennsylvania Middle School Rankings

PAPennsylvania District Rankings

Schools in Beaver Falls, PA

Sign up for updates!

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

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