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Highland Lakes Elementary School

Q: Is Highland Lakes Elementary School a good school?

Highland Lakes Elementary School ranks 878 th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

878^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 61% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Highland Lakes Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Palm Harbor, FL, serving 449 students in grades PK through 5 as part of the Pinellas County School District, which ranks in the top 25% of Florida districts.

While Highland Lakes has historically been a solid performer, earning 3 or 4 stars, its most recent data shows a significant dip to the 61st percentile—its lowest ranking in a decade. This places it as the lowest-ranked school among its nearby peers, where schools like Elisa Nelson Elementary (99th percentile), Sutherland Elementary (96th), and Ozona Elementary (91st) are thriving. The most concerning trend is a sharp decline in 5th-grade performance: this cohort, which was the school's strongest in 2023-2024 (75% in Math, 60% in ELA), dropped to the weakest in 2025-2026 (56% in Math, 56% in ELA)—a 19-point drop in Math alone. In contrast, nearby Lake St. George Elementary has 5th graders as top performers (85% Math, 81% ELA). Additionally, 5th-grade science scores (59%) trail the district average (70%) and are far below schools like Garrison-Jones Elementary (90%) and Elisa Nelson (93%).

Interestingly, the school spends more per student ($14,146) than many higher-performing neighbors, such as Sutherland ($11,687), suggesting potential issues with resource allocation. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism (16%) is significantly lower than the district (30.6%) and state (31.4%) averages, indicating attendance is not a primary driver of the academic struggles. The school shows a clear split: 3rd and 4th graders perform at or above district averages, while 5th graders lag behind. This "5th grade problem" is a major red flag that school administration needs to investigate immediately to reverse the downward trend and restore Highland Lakes' competitive standing in this high-performing area.

449

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,146

Per pupil spending ?

39.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1230 Highlands Blvd
Palm Harbor, FL 34684

(727) 724-1429

District: Pinellas

Students who attend Highland Lakes Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Joseph L. Carwise Middle School
High:	Palm Harbor University High

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.0%

Hispanic:

14.5%

Two or more races:

6.0%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Highland Lakes Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 72nd percentile in 2016 → 61st in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Florida median (61st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

District avg69%

Florida avg62%

878^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 39%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to top 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

51^st of 88Elementary Schools in the Pinellas

15^th of 70Pinellas 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
2026	59.8	878 of 2240	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.8	910 of 2258	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.4	612 of 2256	72.9%	★★★★☆
2023	65.9	719 of 2240	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.7	672 of 2219	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	79.0	450 of 2247	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	70.5	609 of 2182	72.1%	★★★★☆
2018	77.5	436 of 2118	79.4%	★★★★☆
2017	81.1	357 of 2112	83.1%	★★★★☆
2016	71.1	581 of 2087	72.2%	★★★★☆
2014	78.9	387 of 2064	81.3%	★★★★☆
2013	77.1	409 of 2029	79.8%	★★★★☆
2012	81.4	320 of 1984	83.9%	★★★★☆
2011	75.7	453 of 1985	77.2%	★★★★☆
2010	80.5	310 of 1919	83.8%	★★★★☆
2009	86.6	177 of 1847	90.4%	★★★★★
2008	80.2	311 of 1789	82.6%	★★★★☆
2007	78.3	348 of 1786	80.5%	★★★★☆
2006	73.2	453 of 1688	73.2%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math67%+3 vs state

English Language Arts65%+5 vs state

Science59%~ state avg

3.7

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, August 22, 2013

Horrible!!! This school dose not have recess, kids are not allowed to socialize, they are not allowed to talk , not during P:E , not during lunch and obviously not during class. I have been sending my daughter to this school for three years and i had enough. She is a sweet child that has been scared by the "bubble mouth" system , she would love to go to school but not anymore, now its all about the Fcats. all about MONEY, our kids have become a commodity to these people, learning should be social, should be fun, as a teacher myself i feel that we are guiding our kids in a wrong manner in general but specially at Highland Lakes Elementary their no tolerance attitude towards kids, is very low, very low! Close Quote

by a student
Wednesday, June 8, 2011

I used to go to Highland Lakes Elementary in 2003 - 2006 and it was the best school ever. The teachers are amazing, and so nice, I was a straight A student, there was so many fun things to do there. There were annual walk-a-thon's, and in October there was this thing called Monster Mash where there was just a bunch of games outside and a haunted house, and you dressed up in your costume, and won prizes & face paintings, etc. I couldent wait to go to school in the morning.I'm still friends with ALL my friends from there. I'm now in 8th grade, and I miss that school so much. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, May 3, 2011

My son is kindergarten and his teacher is great, she goes the extra mile with her class. Close Quote

Schools Near Highland Lakes Elementary School

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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 Biology 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 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 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highland Lakes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1230 Highlands Blvd	Palm Harbor	34684	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 724-1429	449	31	14.4	39.6%	319 (71.0%)	25 (5.6%)	65 (14.5%)	12 (2.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.0%)	59.8	878^th of 2240 public elementary schools	60.8%		58.8	910^th of 2258 public elementary schools	59.7%	32	66.0	75.0	56.0				70.0	76.0	56.0			59.0				$14,146	$859	$13,287
Lake St. George Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2855 County Road 95	Palm Harbor	34684	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 669-1161	499	36	13.8	34.1%	340 (68.1%)	25 (5.0%)	88 (17.6%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.2%)	88.3	175^th of 2240 public elementary schools	92.2%		85.9	266^th of 2258 public elementary schools	88.2%	91	77.0	74.0	81.0				81.0	85.0	85.0			88.0				$14,595	$879	$13,716
Curlew Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3030 Curlew Rd	Palm Harbor	34684	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 724-1423	610	45	13.5	32.6%	380 (62.3%)	42 (6.9%)	121 (19.8%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	57 (9.3%)	74.5	515^th of 2240 public elementary schools	77.0%		80.1	406^th of 2258 public elementary schools	82.0%	109	64.0	70.0	77.0				73.0	64.0	81.0			81.0				$14,621	$944	$13,675
Sutherland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3150 N Belcher Rd	Palm Harbor	34683	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 724-1466	564	35	16.1	36.0%	424 (75.2%)	21 (3.7%)	75 (13.3%)	16 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.0%)	91.9	93^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	95.8%		89	194^th of 2258 public elementary schools	91.4%	101	80.0	82.0	85.0				83.0	91.0	90.0			85.0				$11,687	$321	$11,366
Elisa Nelson Elementary	Public, Magnet	1-5	415 15th St	Palm Harbor	34683	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	Yes	No	No	(727) 588-5187	421	29	14.5	12.4%	327 (77.7%)	8 (1.9%)	40 (9.5%)	19 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.4%)	96.9	14^th of 2240 public elementary schools	99.4%		96.3	24^th of 2258 public elementary schools	98.9%	10	98.0	88.0	90.0				95.0	92.0	96.0			93.0				$12,485	$370	$12,114
Cypress Woods Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4900 Cypress Woods Blvd	Palm Harbor	34685	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 538-7325	676	43	15.7	23.1%	514 (76.0%)	14 (2.1%)	85 (12.6%)	20 (3.0%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (5.8%)	88.5	165^th of 2240 public elementary schools	92.6%		89.2	191^st of 2258 public elementary schools	91.5%	26	84.0	82.0	74.0				81.0	89.0	86.0			76.0				$12,314	$663	$11,651
Plato Academy Palm Harbor Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	1601 Curlew Rd	Palm Harbor	34683	Pinellas County	Pinellas	Yes	No	No	No	(727) 228-6850	343	31	11.0	23.3%	274 (79.9%)	6 (1.7%)	41 (12.0%)	10 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.5%)	57.4	950^th of 2240 public elementary schools	57.6%		70.1	640^th of 2258 public elementary schools	71.7%	310	72.0	65.0	57.0	67.0	78.0	68.0	78.0	81.0	58.0	67.0	63.0	43.0	89.0	74.0	85.0	$8,429	$58	$8,371
Ozona Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	601 Tampa Rd	Palm Harbor	34683	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 724-1589	727	48	15.2	24.6%	572 (78.7%)	7 (1.0%)	101 (13.9%)	9 (1.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.0%)	87.7	193^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	91.4%		91.7	114^th of 2258 public elementary schools	95.0%	79	81.0	74.0	75.0				81.0	87.0	87.0			80.0				$13,115	$869	$12,247
Forest Lakes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Pine Ave N	Oldsmar	34677	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(813) 891-0785	480	36	13.3	30.2%	279 (58.1%)	19 (4.0%)	125 (26.0%)	18 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	35 (7.3%)	66.3	718^th of 2240 public elementary schools	67.9%		77.1	470^th of 2258 public elementary schools	79.2%	248	64.0	72.0	58.0				72.0	78.0	64.0			70.0				$15,248	$1,111	$14,138
Garrison-Jones Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3133 Garrison Rd	Dunedin	34698	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 469-5716	545	37	14.7	39.3%	309 (56.7%)	20 (3.7%)	173 (31.7%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (6.4%)	80	391^st of 2240 public elementary schools	82.5%		80.3	402^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	82.2%	11	69.0	64.0	72.0				85.0	77.0	83.0			90.0				$13,789	$835	$12,953

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Lakes Elementary School

Is Highland Lakes Elementary School a good school?

Highland Lakes Elementary School ranks 878^th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Highland Lakes Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 449 students attended Highland Lakes Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Highland Lakes Elementary School?

Students at Highland Lakes Elementary School are 71% White, 14% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 6% African American, 3% Asian.

What district is Highland Lakes Elementary School in?

Pinellas

What schools do graduates of Highland Lakes Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Highland Lakes Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Joseph L. Carwise Middle School
High : Palm Harbor University High

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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.