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Highlands Elementary School

Public Grades K-5
192nd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools
Better than 72% of Alabama elementary schools
Summary

Highlands Elementary School in Dothan, AL, serves 501 students in grades K-5 and stands out as a high-performing traditional neighborhood school within the Dothan City district.

Academically, Highlands is a clear standout. In 2025-2026, math proficiency rates were roughly double the district average across all grade levels (54% in 3rd grade vs. 26.7% district-wide, for example), and English Language Arts proficiency was similarly strong, with 77% of 3rd graders proficient compared to 52.1% district-wide. The contrast with nearby schools is dramatic: Beverlye Intermediate School and Faine Elementary School post math proficiency rates of just 2-7%, making Highlands' results 10-20 times higher. Even compared to mid-tier schools like Kelly Springs Elementary School and Selma Street Elementary School, Highlands' proficiency rates are roughly double or triple. While Carver School of Mathematics Science and Technology, a selective magnet school, outperforms Highlands, Highlands achieves its results without selective admissions, making its success particularly notable.

Highlands also benefits from strong attendance and a favorable learning environment. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 8.1% is well below the district average of 13.7%, and its student-teacher ratio of 15.1:1 is better than most comparable schools. The school has a few areas to watch: 5th grade math proficiency (37.7%) lags behind 3rd and 4th grades, and performance with Special Education students has declined significantly in recent years. However, with a 4-star rating and a 72nd percentile statewide ranking, Highlands remains a strong choice for families seeking a well-rounded, academically rigorous neighborhood school in the Dothan area.

501
Students ?
15.1
Student/teacher ratio ?
$8,606
Per pupil spending ?
38.7%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1400 S Brannon Stand Rd
       Dothan, AL  36305

(334) 794-1459

District: Dothan City


Students who attend Highlands Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Dothan Preparatory Academy
High:    Dothan High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
59.7%
African American:
21.8%
Hispanic:
11.0%
more
 See top rated Alabama elementary schools

 Compare Highlands Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 88th percentile in 2016 → 72nd in 2026
Strengths
Test scores above the Alabama average (62% vs 53% meeting standards)
Among the top-ranked schools in Dothan City
Above the Alabama median (72nd percentile)
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2016
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school62%
District avg39%
Alabama avg53%
192nd of 686
Alabama public elementary schools ?
Top 28%▼ down 16 pts since 2016
From top 12% (2016) to top 28% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
2nd of 9Elementary Schools in the Dothan City
109th of 139Dothan City among Alabama 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankAlabama percentileRating
202670.7192 of 68672.0%★★★★☆
202561.2266 of 68060.9%★★★☆☆
202476.5149 of 68478.2%★★★★☆
202381.6103 of 68084.9%★★★★☆
202284.586 of 68787.5%★★★★☆
202190.656 of 69291.9%★★★★★
201977.8121 of 68182.2%★★★★☆
201884.089 of 68086.9%★★★★☆
201783.293 of 68886.5%★★★★☆
201684.684 of 69187.8%★★★★☆
201578.7118 of 69182.9%★★★★☆
201486.068 of 69590.2%★★★★★
201378.068 of 69690.2%★★★★★
201266.6234 of 69666.4%★★★☆☆
201168.9203 of 70971.4%★★★★☆
201075.7118 of 70483.2%★★★★☆
200957.8316 of 69654.6%★★★☆☆
200852.1359 of 69848.6%★★☆☆☆
200752.4369 of 69847.1%★★☆☆☆
200655.4316 of 68954.1%★★★☆☆
200572.6149 of 68878.3%★★★★☆
200482.868 of 62389.1%★★★★☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankAlabama percentileRating
202654.9164 of 42961.8%★★★☆☆
202550.0184 of 42756.9%★★★☆☆
202473.968 of 42083.8%★★★★☆
202377.852 of 42787.8%★★★★☆
202275.064 of 42685.0%★★★★☆
202186.527 of 42693.7%★★★★★
201955.7156 of 42663.4%★★★☆☆
201870.483 of 42380.4%★★★★☆
201759.3102 of 33669.6%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankAlabama percentileRating
202674.1149 of 65277.1%★★★★☆
202560.1251 of 64961.3%★★★☆☆
202474.3151 of 65076.8%★★★★☆
202375.3129 of 64580.0%★★★★☆
202278.7112 of 65682.9%★★★★☆
202188.356 of 65691.5%★★★★★
201981.888 of 64686.4%★★★★☆
201885.869 of 64089.2%★★★★☆
201772.8140 of 63978.1%★★★★☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankAlabama percentileRating
202571.245 of 20678.2%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankAlabama percentileRating
202674.0130 of 66880.5%★★★★☆
202557.3270 of 66059.1%★★★☆☆
202467.9189 of 67071.8%★★★★☆
202370.7143 of 62377.0%★★★★☆
202262.9215 of 65167.0%★★★☆☆
202183.259 of 65391.0%★★★★★
201965.0193 of 64970.3%★★★★☆
201876.4104 of 65184.0%★★★★☆
201768.1133 of 56776.5%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankAlabama percentileRating
202661.9249 of 66062.3%★★★☆☆
202560.0270 of 65158.5%★★★☆☆
202474.7148 of 65577.4%★★★★☆
202383.876 of 64988.3%★★★★☆
202284.682 of 66987.7%★★★★☆
202189.259 of 66991.2%★★★★★
201970.0172 of 65073.5%★★★★☆
201879.8114 of 65082.5%★★★★☆
201783.779 of 63987.6%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankAlabama percentileRating
202636.2258 of 40336.0%★★☆☆☆
202530.6293 of 40327.3%★☆☆☆☆
202464.499 of 39574.9%★★★★☆
202352.9136 of 37363.5%★★★☆☆
202263.387 of 34574.8%★★★★☆
202156.8122 of 39869.3%★★★☆☆
201968.982 of 39279.1%★★★★☆
201880.034 of 34490.1%★★★★★
201786.018 of 28093.6%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankAlabama percentileRating
202669.9127 of 50074.6%★★★★☆
202555.1237 of 53255.5%★★★☆☆
202467.4156 of 53570.8%★★★★☆
202375.2101 of 52880.9%★★★★☆
202280.880 of 54085.2%★★★★☆
202186.364 of 53988.1%★★★★☆
201977.192 of 52982.6%★★★★☆
201884.266 of 50887.0%★★★★☆
201779.463 of 36982.9%★★★★☆
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 (2026)81st percentile+9 vs school
Hispanic (2025)78th percentile+17 vs school
Female (2026)77th percentile+5 vs school
White (2026)75th percentile+3 vs school
Male (2026)62nd percentile-10 vs school
African American (2026)62nd percentile-10 vs school
Special Education (2026)36th percentile-36 vs school
By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?
English73%+8 vs state
Science68%+17 vs state
Mathematics49%+7 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about Highlands Elementary School

Students at Highlands Elementary School are 60% White, 22% African American, 11% Hispanic, 7% Asian.

In the 2024-25 school year, 501 students attended Highlands Elementary School.

Highlands Elementary School ranks 192nd of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Highlands Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dothan Preparatory Academy
High : Dothan High School

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Latest Alabama data All new data »
2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresNewAug 14, 2026
2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025
2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025
2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024


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

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