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Highland Middle School

Q: Is Highland Middle School a good school?

Highland Middle School ranks 158 th of 1368 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

158^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,368 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 88% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Highland Middle School is a public middle school located in Libertyville, Illinois, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 719 students. The school is part of the Libertyville School District 70, which is ranked 41 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highland Middle School consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Illinois, with a statewide ranking between 45-158 over the past 10 years. The school's performance on the IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness) exams is impressive, with 75.5% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 54.9% in Mathematics for the 2024-2025 school year. Compared to the state and district averages, Highland Middle School outperforms in both ELA and Math, with a significant gap in Math (54.9% vs. 38.5% state average). The school's performance on the ISA (Illinois Science Assessment) is also noteworthy, with 76% of 8th-grade students proficient or better in 2024-2025, compared to the state average of 45.4%.

Highland Middle School's performance is generally stronger than the nearby schools analyzed, with higher academic achievement in both ELA and Math. Schools like Twin Groves Middle School, Lake Bluff Middle School, and Daniel Wright Junior High School also demonstrate strong academic performance, ranking among the top middle schools in Illinois. However, West Oak Middle School, which is located within a closer proximity to Highland Middle School, has significantly lower academic achievement, ranking in the bottom 30% of Illinois middle schools.

701

Students ?

10.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,337

Per pupil spending ?

4.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

310 W Rockland Rd
Libertyville, IL 60048-2739

(847) 362-9020

District: Libertyville School District 70

Students who attend Highland Middle School usually attend:

High:

Libertyville High School

Feeder schools for Highland Middle School:

Elementary:	Adler Park School
	Butterfield School
	Copeland Manor Elementary School
	Rockland Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.6%

Hispanic:

9.3%

Two or more races:

6.1%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Highland Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 96th percentile in 2015 → 88th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Illinois average (69% vs 46% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Illinois middle schools

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school69%

District avg73%

Illinois avg46%

158^th of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Top 12%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 4% (2015) to top 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

41^st of 811Libertyville School District 70 among Illinois 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	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	87.5	158 of 1368	88.5%	★★★★☆
2024	92.7	85 of 1363	93.8%	★★★★★
2023	96.0	45 of 1367	96.7%	★★★★★
2022	95.1	56 of 1369	95.9%	★★★★★
2021	92.7	69 of 1241	94.4%	★★★★★
2019	92.4	70 of 1356	94.8%	★★★★★
2018	93.8	59 of 1293	95.4%	★★★★★
2017	94.0	53 of 1293	95.9%	★★★★★
2016	92.5	71 of 1294	94.5%	★★★★★
2015	95.1	54 of 1302	95.9%	★★★★★
2014	91.2	64 of 1322	95.2%	★★★★★
2013	91.1	67 of 1367	95.1%	★★★★★
2012	85.7	94 of 1365	93.1%	★★★★★
2011	86.7	62 of 1344	95.4%	★★★★★
2010	86.9	56 of 1327	95.8%	★★★★★
2009	87.4	53 of 1318	96.0%	★★★★★
2008	87.2	59 of 1293	95.4%	★★★★★
2007	87.0	61 of 1287	95.3%	★★★★★
2006	87.8	56 of 1272	95.6%	★★★★★
2005	88.2	84 of 1209	93.1%	★★★★★
2004	90.6	49 of 1204	95.9%	★★★★★
2003	91.6	50 of 1185	95.8%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	82.7	19 of 186	89.8%	★★★★★
2024	76.1	38 of 184	79.3%	★★★★☆
2023	85.3	14 of 192	92.7%	★★★★★
2022	82.2	29 of 198	85.4%	★★★★☆
2021	82.2	13 of 112	88.4%	★★★★☆
2019	86.8	12 of 201	94.0%	★★★★★
2018	74.6	37 of 209	82.3%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	66.2	136 of 694	80.4%	★★★★☆
2024	91.1	28 of 639	95.6%	★★★★★
2023	73.5	84 of 674	87.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	85.9	139 of 1248	88.9%	★★★★☆
2024	88.3	110 of 1251	91.2%	★★★★★
2023	94.1	52 of 1275	95.9%	★★★★★
2022	93.3	67 of 1286	94.8%	★★★★★
2021	88.0	84 of 1017	91.7%	★★★★★
2019	91.2	82 of 1276	93.6%	★★★★★
2018	93.8	46 of 1226	96.2%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	63.4	200 of 669	70.1%	★★★★☆
2024	82.2	67 of 643	89.6%	★★★★☆
2023	84.8	58 of 661	91.2%	★★★★★
2022	86.0	59 of 662	91.1%	★★★★★
2021	58.1	154 of 517	70.2%	★★★★☆
2019	79.7	76 of 639	88.1%	★★★★☆
2018	79.6	80 of 590	86.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	31.5	856 of 1229	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	70.1	240 of 1219	80.3%	★★★★☆
2023	75.7	176 of 1234	85.7%	★★★★☆
2022	76.8	152 of 1221	87.6%	★★★★☆
2019	71.7	225 of 1217	81.5%	★★★★☆
2018	66.7	275 of 1161	76.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	86.5	141 of 1271	88.9%	★★★★☆
2024	94.3	58 of 1264	95.4%	★★★★★
2023	96.4	35 of 1292	97.3%	★★★★★
2022	95.3	42 of 1286	96.7%	★★★★★
2021	92.9	55 of 1048	94.8%	★★★★★
2019	92.2	64 of 1296	95.1%	★★★★★
2018	91.5	70 of 1223	94.3%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	66.9	76 of 204	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	77.0	42 of 184	77.2%	★★★★☆
2023	87.9	17 of 194	91.2%	★★★★★
2022	97.5	2 of 195	99.0%	★★★★★
2021	89.4	11 of 97	88.7%	★★★★☆
2019	80.3	27 of 179	84.9%	★★★★☆
2018	74.3	38 of 164	76.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	55.8	253 of 812	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.9	158 of 802	80.3%	★★★★☆
2023	90.6	46 of 805	94.3%	★★★★★
2022	85.5	44 of 781	94.4%	★★★★★
2021	53.0	160 of 548	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	79.2	72 of 792	90.9%	★★★★★
2018	94.4	14 of 602	97.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	79.1	150 of 884	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	84.7	101 of 875	88.5%	★★★★☆
2023	90.7	47 of 895	94.7%	★★★★★
2022	87.5	73 of 898	91.9%	★★★★★
2021	83.7	89 of 813	89.1%	★★★★☆
2019	83.4	95 of 905	89.5%	★★★★☆
2018	87.6	64 of 889	92.8%	★★★★★

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)

Asian (2025)90th percentile~ school

Male (2025)89th percentile~ school

Female (2025)89th percentile~ school

White (2025)83rd percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2025)80th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)70th percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2025)69th percentile-20 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)63rd percentile-26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)30th percentile-58 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

Science76%+31 vs state

English Language Arts76%+22 vs state

Mathematics55%+16 vs state

2.3

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, September 6, 2018

The inside scoop: Lots of overpaid teachers live in the district because Illinois has one of the highest property taxes in the US. Teacher's kids, some of whom are not even average students, get preferential treatment and quite a few services from the schools. ADHD and HFA, high functioning autism, overdiagnosed in some students. There is also an alarming increase in kids with anxiety disorders, some actually requiring meds. Too many social workers and speech language pathologists employed in the district. Just wondering if my super high property taxes, which go to the school system, are really reaching my kids. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, March 5, 2018

Discouraging and frustrating! The atmosphere at this school is not pro-student OR pro-parent. Highland is something that families GET through -- the complete opposite of the elementary and high school experiences in Libertyville. Highland is about control and keeping parents OUT! Students are not respected and neither are the parents. There are some wonderful teachers, but their efforts are overshadowed by the climate of authoritarianism and antagonism. And apparently responding to emails is optional with some of the teachers. As an educator myself, I'd like to think that I'm working WITH students and families. That is not the vibe at Highland. Sadly, it's the only middle school in Libertyville and we're stuck with it. They almost operate like they know they're the only game in town Appeals to the superintendent have gone nowhere which is weird because he seems to understand. Libertyville deserves SO MUCH BETTER! Close Quote

Schools Near Highland Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISA Science (2025)	IAR English Language Arts (2025)				IAR Mathematics (2025)				% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	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	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highland Middle School	Public	6-8	310 W Rockland Rd	Libertyville	60048	Lake County	Libertyville School District 70	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 362-9020	701	67	10.5		544 (77.6%)	14 (2.0%)	65 (9.3%)	35 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.1%)	87.5	158^th of 1368 public middle schools	88.5%		92.7	85^th of 1363 public middle schools	93.8%	73	76.0	75.5	64.3	85.5	75.5	59.4	52.2	53.4	54.9	98.6	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.0	98.5	98.6	96.8	$23,337	$60	$23,277
Hawthorn Middle School North	Public	6-8	201 W Hawthorn Pkwy	Vernon Hills	60061	Lake County	Hawthorn CCSD 73	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 990-4400	627	55	11.3	33.3%	289 (46.1%)	28 (4.5%)	135 (21.5%)	149 (23.8%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.3%)	76.8	281^st of 1368 public middle schools	79.5%		82.6	207^th of 1363 public middle schools	84.8%	74	67.5	63.5	54.6	64.8	61.3	49.3	53.2	46.7	49.5	97.4	97.0	97.0	97.0	97.2	93.5	97.4	92.1	$17,783	$345	$17,438
Hawthorn Middle School South	Public	6-8	600 N Aspen Dr	Vernon Hills	60061	Lake County	Hawthorn CCSD 73	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 990-4100	609	54	11.2	30.7%	226 (37.1%)	32 (5.3%)	155 (25.5%)	170 (27.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.1%)	68.7	380^th of 1368 public middle schools	72.2%		72.8	309^th of 1363 public middle schools	77.3%	71	55.3	59.1	49.5	64.4	57.8	47.0	46.2	37.5	43.4	98.3	98.3	98.3	98.3	98.4	98.1	98.6	95.3	$18,374	$481	$17,893
Carl Sandburg Middle School	Public	6-8	855 W Hawley St	Mundelein	60060	Lake County	Mundelein Education Service District 75	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 949-2707	529	44	12.1	41.0%	175 (33.1%)	19 (3.6%)	297 (56.1%)	16 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.0%)	53.8	575^th of 1368 public middle schools	58.0%		54.4	536^th of 1363 public middle schools	60.7%	39	44.9	55.5	54.1	47.6	52.2	25.0	39.6	31.6	32.0	98.7	98.7	98.7	98.7	99.1	98.9	98.9	96.8	$18,191	$348	$17,843
West Oak Middle School	Public	6-8	26156 N Acorn Ln	Mundelein	60060	Lake County	Diamond Lake School District 76	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 566-9220	280	27	10.3		56 (20.0%)	11 (3.9%)	190 (67.9%)	14 (5.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.9%)	31.5	915^th of 1368 public middle schools	33.1%		26.3	973^rd of 1363 public middle schools	28.6%	58	43.1	37.5	37.3	38.8	38.0	13.8	18.1	20.4	17.7	99.7	99.7	99.7	99.7	99.7	99.0	99.7	99.7	$24,220	$1,217	$23,003
Lake County Hulse Detention Center 6-	Public	6-8	25467 N Milwaukee Ave	Vernon Hills	60061	Lake County	Lincolnshire-Prairieview School District 103	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(847) 377-7800	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Woodlawn Middle School	Public	6-8	6362 Gilmer Rd	Long Grove	60047	Lake County	Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 353-8500	632	41	15.5		315 (49.8%)	23 (3.6%)	49 (7.8%)	220 (34.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.3%)	93.6	75^th of 1368 public middle schools	94.5%		94.2	67^th of 1363 public middle schools	95.1%	8	83.7	73.4	84.6	81.9	79.9	62.3	70.5	68.4	67.1	97.7	97.9	97.9	97.9	96.0	97.3	98.2	95.9	$21,578	$427	$21,151
Daniel Wright Junior High School	Public	6-8	1370 N Riverwoods Rd	Lincolnshire	60069	Lake County	Lincolnshire-Prairieview School District 103	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 295-1560	720	66	10.9		278 (38.6%)	12 (1.7%)	18 (2.5%)	385 (53.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.8%)	97.8	17^th of 1368 public middle schools	98.8%		98.2	18^th of 1363 public middle schools	98.7%	1	87.9	87.2	88.9	94.8	90.4	81.9	83.6	84.7	83.4	95.5	96.8	96.8	96.8	95.7	95.7	92.9	92.9	$19,946	$262	$19,684
Twin Groves Middle School	Public	6-8	2600 N Buffalo Grove Rd	Buffalo Grove	60089	Lake County	Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 821-8946	625	42	14.7		234 (37.4%)	10 (1.6%)	32 (5.1%)	329 (52.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.0%)	94.3	65^th of 1368 public middle schools	95.2%		95.8	47^th of 1363 public middle schools	96.6%	18	82.4	80.6	82.2	79.4	80.7	69.1	67.8	72.7	69.9	97.6	97.8	97.8	97.8	97.1	97.6	98.5	94.9	$21,255	$361	$20,894
Lake Bluff Middle School	Public	6-8	31 E Sheridan Pl	Lake Bluff	60044	Lake County	Lake Bluff Education Service District 65	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 234-9407	305	31	9.9		218 (71.5%)	3 (1.0%)	47 (15.4%)	22 (7.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.6%)	92.2	89^th of 1368 public middle schools	93.5%		90.1	115^th of 1363 public middle schools	91.6%	26	72.5	72.5	84.6	90.3	82.2	54.1	62.6	69.9	62.0	99.7	99.3	99.3	99.3	99.7	99.0	99.3	95.2	$26,114	$512	$25,602

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Middle School

What district is Highland Middle School in?

Libertyville School District 70

How many students attend Highland Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 701 students attended Highland Middle School.

Is Highland Middle School a good school?

Highland Middle School ranks 158^th of 1368 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Highland Middle School?

Students at Highland Middle School are 78% White, 9% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 2% African American.

What high school do graduates of Highland Middle School attend?

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

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board 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.