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

Hill-Gustat Middle School

Q: Is Hill-Gustat Middle School a good school?

Hill-Gustat Middle School ranks 663 rd of 1216 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-12

663^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,216 Florida Middle Schools

Better than 45% of Florida middle schools

Summary

Hill-Gustat Middle School in Sebring, FL, serves 669 students in grades 6 through 12, making it a unique combined middle and high school within the Highlands district. This school stands out for its exceptional performance in advanced coursework, with 86% of students proficient in Algebra 1 and a remarkable 93% in Civics, far exceeding district and state averages. However, it faces significant challenges in core middle school math, where only 45% of 7th graders met grade-level benchmarks in 2025-2026, lagging behind the state average of 53%.

Compared to nearby schools, Hill-Gustat shows a clear dichotomy. While it outperforms Sebring Middle School in 6th-grade math (69% vs. 54%) and 7th-grade English Language Arts (56% vs. 55%), Sebring Middle achieves higher proficiency in 8th-grade math (69% vs. 48%) and spends $4,451 less per student ($10,071 vs. $14,522). The school also has a higher student-teacher ratio of 19.6:1, compared to 16.6:1 at Lake Placid Middle School and Avon Park Middle School, suggesting larger class sizes despite higher per-student spending.

A critical concern is the school's chronic absenteeism rate, which reached 40.3% in 2023-2024, far above the state average of 31.4% and a persistent issue since the pandemic. This absenteeism likely contributes to the volatility in test scores, such as the dramatic drop in 7th-grade math from 58% to 25% between 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, followed by a recovery to 45%. While Hill-Gustat excels at accelerating top students into advanced high school courses, its primary focus should be on improving attendance and strengthening core math instruction for all students to ensure consistent academic growth.

669

Students ?

19.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,522

Per pupil spending ?

53.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4700 Schumacher Rd
Sebring, FL 33872

(863) 471-5437

District: Highlands

Students who attend Hill-Gustat Middle School usually attend:

High:

Sebring High School

Feeder schools for Hill-Gustat Middle School:

Elementary:

Sun 'n Lake Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

37.1%

Hispanic:

35.3%

African American:

18.5%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Hill-Gustat Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 56th percentile in 2016 → 45th in 2026

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 31% Florida)

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg55%

Florida avg62%

Middle school

663^rd of 1,216

Florida public middle schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From top 44% (2016) to bottom 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

224^th of 838

Florida public high schools ?

Top 27%▼ down 2 pts since 2019

See the entire ranking list of Florida High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 4Middle Schools in the Highlands

43^rd of 70Highlands among Florida districts

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

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	47.3	663 of 1216	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.1	718 of 1205	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.6	664 of 1196	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.6	664 of 1177	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.1	575 of 1148	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.0	467 of 1136	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.7	473 of 1099	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.1	531 of 1035	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	45.6	554 of 1031	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	54.1	442 of 997	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	59.4	396 of 999	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	54.4	435 of 956	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	54.6	420 of 897	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	59.6	384 of 891	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	55.5	404 of 839	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	48.2	441 of 780	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	53.2	378 of 740	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	54.0	366 of 736	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	61.0	260 of 675	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2005	64.6	216 of 602	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	69.2	176 of 593	70.3%	★★★★☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	59.9	224 of 838	73.3%	★★★★☆
2025	61.8	203 of 844	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	39.9	389 of 774	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.5	97 of 746	87.0%	★★★★☆
2019	62.1	180 of 734	75.5%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Algebra 186%+23 vs state

Civics77%~ state avg

English Language Arts57%-4 vs state

Math55%-3 vs state

Science54%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Hill-Gustat 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

What people are saying

by a student
Sunday, October 16, 2011

HGM is an "A" school I think we deserve to have a better rating then 306th. Close Quote

Schools Near Hill-Gustat Middle School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)			FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Civics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hill-Gustat Middle School	Public	6-12	4700 Schumacher Rd	Sebring	33872	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 471-5437	669	34	19.6	53.8%	248 (37.1%)	124 (18.5%)	236 (35.3%)	36 (5.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	23 (3.4%)	47.3	663^rd of 1216 public middle schools	45.5%		42.1	718^th of 1205 public middle schools	40.4%	55	63.0	56.0	52.0	69.0	45.0	48.0	54.0	86.0	77.0	$14,522	$4,192	$10,332
Sebring Middle School	Public	6-8	500 E Center Ave	Sebring	33870	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 471-5700	840	43	19.5	59.3%	413 (49.2%)	102 (12.1%)	265 (31.5%)	7 (0.8%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (5.8%)	43.3	726^th of 1216 public middle schools	40.3%		44.5	672^nd of 1205 public middle schools	44.2%	54	55.0	55.0	51.0	54.0	41.0	69.0	49.0	96.0	76.0	$10,071	$1,280	$8,790
Avon Park Middle School	Public	6-8	401 S Lake Ave	Avon Park	33825	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 452-4333	600	36	16.6	70.3%	145 (24.2%)	145 (24.2%)	284 (47.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.8%)	31.9	888^th of 1216 public middle schools	27.0%		31.1	872^nd of 1205 public middle schools	27.6%	16	48.0	43.0	49.0	48.0	37.0	58.0	45.0	94.0	76.0	$11,754	$1,546	$10,207
Lake Placid Middle School	Public	6-8	201 S Tangerine Ave	Lake Placid	33852	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 699-5030	507	31	16.6	67.5%	189 (37.3%)	69 (13.6%)	228 (45.0%)	3 (0.6%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.4%)	48.7	637^th of 1216 public middle schools	47.6%		35.8	804^th of 1205 public middle schools	33.3%	167	56.0	62.0	58.0	62.0	52.0	71.0	38.0	100.0	79.0	$12,849	$2,107	$10,741

Frequently Asked Questions about Hill-Gustat Middle School

What high school do graduates of Hill-Gustat Middle School attend?

Students who attend Hill-Gustat Middle School usually go on to attend Sebring High School

How many students attend Hill-Gustat Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 669 students attended Hill-Gustat Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Hill-Gustat Middle School?

Students at Hill-Gustat Middle School are 37% White, 35% Hispanic, 19% African American, 5% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

Is Hill-Gustat Middle School a good school?

Hill-Gustat Middle School ranks 663^rd of 1216 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Hill-Gustat Middle School in?

Highlands

Rate Hill-Gustat Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

FLFlorida Middle School Rankings

FLFlorida District Rankings

Schools in Sebring, FL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Hill-Gustat Middle School!

Latest Florida data All new data »

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2025

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