Middle Schools in Anderson Community School Corp

Highland Middle School is the only middle school in Anderson Community School Corp, serving grades 7–8 with 916 students, so it is the district's entire middle-level story. It is a high-poverty school: 67.03% of students were eligible for free or reduced lunch in 2024–2025. The district overall ranks 343 of 374 Indiana districts, at the 8th percentile with 0 stars, so the surrounding context is weak.

Academically, Highland ranked 413 of 486 Indiana middle schools in 2025–2026, at the 15th percentile with 1 star — slightly above its district but still in the bottom fifth statewide. Compared with the state, core proficiency is low: 7th-grade ELA is 18.74% versus 41.7% statewide; 8th-grade ELA is 22.37% versus 44%; 7th-grade math is 11.94% versus 35.9%; and 8th-grade math is 11.86% versus 34.2%. Keep in mind that all-grade comparisons to the district are not apples-to-apples, since the district total includes elementary grades; in the grades Highland actually serves, its math is slightly above the district's. ELA improved from 17.22% to 20.37% year over year, while math slipped from 13.46% to 11.84%.

Biology End of Course is the standout: 61.11% in 2024–2025 versus 45.6% statewide, and 55.71% in 2025–2026 versus 22.68% for the district — though Biology is not a typical middle-school test, so treat that result cautiously. Chronic absenteeism is a major red flag at 35.4%, above the district's 30.9% and more than double the state's 16.7%. The school spends $15,363 per student with an 11.8 student-teacher ratio, yet core proficiency stays low. In short: one school, real resource investment, a promising ELA trend and an unusual science bright spot, but low math and reading proficiency and very high absenteeism are the main concerns.