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Highlands Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2124^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 6% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Highlands Elementary School is a public elementary school in Kissimmee, Florida, serving 598 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Osceola School District, which is ranked 57 out of 67 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Highlands Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Florida elementary schools over the past several years.

Highlands Elementary faces significant challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 30.9% to 38.1% in recent years, well above the district and state averages. Academically, the school's students consistently underperform compared to the Osceola district and Florida state averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, only 31% of 3rd graders were proficient in ELA, compared to 51% in the district and 57% statewide. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 57.59% to 70.51% in recent years, indicating a high concentration of economically disadvantaged students.

The struggles at Highlands Elementary are not unique within the Osceola district, as nearby schools like Boggy Creek Elementary, Thacker Avenue Elementary, and Kissimmee Elementary also face low academic performance and high chronic absenteeism rates. However, the charter schools in the area, such as Kissimmee Charter Academy and Renaissance Charter School at Tapestry, generally outperform the traditional public schools, suggesting that alternative educational models may be more effective in this region.

564

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,962

Per pupil spending ?

65.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

800 W Donegan Ave
Kissimmee, FL 34741

(407) 935-3620

District: Osceola

Students who attend Highlands Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Denn John Middle School
High:	Osceola High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

82.3%

White:

7.6%

African American:

6.0%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Highlands Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 12th percentile in 2014 → 6th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (32% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school32%

District avg48%

Florida avg58%

2,124^th of 2,258

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 22 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 6% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

43^rd of 45Elementary Schools in the Osceola

57^th of 67Osceola 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2025	11.0	2124 of 2258	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.7	2043 of 2256	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.9	1897 of 2240	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.2	2081 of 2219	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	18.2	1888 of 2247	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.1	2057 of 2182	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	26.0	1633 of 2118	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	25.8	1610 of 2112	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	30.5	1497 of 2087	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	17.4	1810 of 2064	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	18.6	1758 of 2029	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	18.6	1689 of 1984	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	29.7	1508 of 1985	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	30.4	1425 of 1919	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	24.4	1496 of 1847	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	11.0	1671 of 1789	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	14.4	1606 of 1786	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	8.1	1594 of 1688	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

Science38%-17 vs state

Math32%-29 vs state

English Language Arts31%-26 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, March 26, 2012

The teachers at Highlands Elementary work very hard to meet the needs of all their students. My son is in Kindergarten and I am amazed at how much they have done to enrich and challenge my son. The teachers are always welcoming and the school is inviting. Close Quote

Schools Near Highlands Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				FAST English Language Arts (2025)						FAST Math (2025)						Statewide Science Science (2025)		EOC Algebra 1 (2025)	EOC Geometry (2025)	EOC Biology 1 (2025)	EOC US History (2025)	EOC Civics (2025)	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 (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	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highlands Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	800 W Donegan Ave	Kissimmee	34741	Osceola County	Osceola	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 935-3620	564	36	15.6	65.1%	43 (7.6%)	34 (6.0%)	464 (82.3%)	22 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	11	2124^th of 2258 public elementary schools	5.9%		14.7	2043^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	9.4%	81	31.0	25.0	39.0				48.0	22.0	24.0				38.0							$12,962	$1,684	$11,279
Central Avenue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	500 W Columbia Ave	Kissimmee	34741	Osceola County	Osceola	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 343-7330	529	33	16.0	63.5%	56 (10.6%)	76 (14.4%)	374 (70.7%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.6%)	5.4	2215^th of 2258 public elementary schools	1.9%		9.3	2166^th of 2256 public elementary schools	4.0%	49	25.0	25.0	26.0				29.0	33.0	31.0				20.0							$13,351	$2,132	$11,219
Victory Charter School K-5	Public, Charter	K-5	2880 N Orange Blossom Trl	Kissimmee	34741	Osceola County	Osceola	Yes	No	No	Yes	(321) 697-3800	344	16	21.5	64.2%	23 (6.7%)	14 (4.1%)	300 (87.2%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11.9	2109^th of 2258 public elementary schools	6.6%		9.7	2158^th of 2256 public elementary schools	4.3%	49	42.0	26.0	31.0				44.0	37.0	17.0				27.0							$12,111	$248	$11,863
Renaissance Charter School At Tapestry	Public, Charter	K-8	2510 W Carroll St	Kissimmee	34741	Osceola County	Osceola	Yes	No	No	Yes	(407) 569-0163	1,419	77	18.4	67.9%	135 (9.5%)	55 (3.9%)	1,173 (82.7%)	40 (2.8%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.0%)	31.1	1610^th of 2258 public elementary schools	28.7%		30.1	1619^th of 2256 public elementary schools	28.2%	9	43.0	37.0	54.0	43.0	52.0	56.0	56.0	55.0	26.0	53.0	69.0	47.0	51.0	46.0	91.0	97.0	96.0	100.0	67.0	$8,076	$336	$7,740
Thacker Avenue Elementary For International Studies	Public	PK, KG-5	301 N Thacker Ave	Kissimmee	34741	Osceola County	Osceola	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 935-3540	661	34	19.4	65.1%	83 (12.6%)	79 (12.0%)	461 (69.7%)	14 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	21 (3.2%)	15.5	2022^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	10.5%		16.3	1999^th of 2256 public elementary schools	11.4%	23	32.0	36.0	34.0				43.0	44.0	41.0				37.0							$12,593	$2,092	$10,501
Kissimmee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3700 W Donegan Ave	Kissimmee	34741	Osceola County	Osceola	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 935-3640	740	49	15.2	51.6%	75 (10.1%)	44 (5.9%)	599 (80.9%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.3%)	12.3	2099^th of 2258 public elementary schools	7.0%		12.7	2092^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	7.3%	7	38.0	37.0	33.0				37.0	33.0	27.0				39.0							$11,779	$1,301	$10,478
Flora Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 Dyer Blvd	Kissimmee	34741	Osceola County	Osceola	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 933-3999	765	49	15.7	46.5%	91 (11.9%)	77 (10.1%)	549 (71.8%)	26 (3.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.6%)	11.7	2110^th of 2258 public elementary schools	6.6%		10.8	2128^th of 2256 public elementary schools	5.7%	18	32.0	39.0	37.0				34.0	42.0	28.0				31.0							$12,692	$2,077	$10,615
Mill Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1700 Mill Slough Rd	Kissimmee	34744	Osceola County	Osceola	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 935-3660	610	36	16.9	67.0%	75 (12.3%)	74 (12.1%)	437 (71.6%)	9 (1.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.0%)	13.4	2072^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	8.2%		10.4	2145^th of 2256 public elementary schools	4.9%	73	41.0	31.0	33.0				50.0	34.0	22.0				30.0							$12,549	$1,671	$10,878
Kissimmee Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	2850 Bill Beck Blvd	Kissimmee	34744	Osceola County	Osceola	Yes	No	No	Yes	(407) 847-1400	752	47	16.0	96.3%	94 (12.5%)	75 (10.0%)	558 (74.2%)	10 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (1.9%)	21.1	1869^th of 2258 public elementary schools	17.2%		15.9	2010^th of 2256 public elementary schools	10.9%	141	48.0	44.0	36.0	54.0	47.0	46.0	47.0	46.0	13.0	25.0	32.0	52.0	41.0	29.0	92.0	91.0			45.0	$8,225	$423	$7,802
Boggy Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	810 Florida Pkwy	Kissimmee	34743	Osceola County	Osceola	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 344-5060	549	35	15.6	65.8%	60 (10.9%)	46 (8.4%)	431 (78.5%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.9%)	16.9	1988^th of 2258 public elementary schools	12.0%		24.8	1773^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	21.4%	215	46.0	35.0	39.0				44.0	34.0	34.0				38.0							$13,486	$1,447	$12,039

Frequently Asked Questions about Highlands Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Highlands Elementary School?

Students at Highlands Elementary School are 82% Hispanic, 8% White, 6% African American, 4% Asian.

What district is Highlands Elementary School in?

Osceola

What schools do graduates of Highlands Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Denn John Middle School
High : Osceola High School

How many students attend Highlands Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 564 students attended Highlands Elementary School.

Is Highlands Elementary School a good school?

Highlands Elementary School ranks in the bottom 5.9% of Florida elementary schools.

Rate Highlands Elementary School!

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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.