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Highland Middle

Q: Is Highland Middle a good school?

Highland Middle ranks 229 th of 320 Kentucky middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

229^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 320 Kentucky Middle Schools

Better than 28% of Kentucky middle schools

Summary

Highland Middle is a public magnet middle school in Louisville, Kentucky, serving 717 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Jefferson County school district, which is ranked 140 out of 157 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Highland Middle has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of Kentucky middle schools, with a ranking between 216 and 297 over the past 10 years, and has maintained a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger during this time.

Highland Middle's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates on the Kentucky State Assessments (KSA), is generally below the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Highland Middle's proficiency rates in mathematics ranged from 24% to 43%, compared to 28% to 31% for the district and 40% to 43% for the state. In reading, Highland Middle's proficiency rates ranged from 34% to 55%, compared to 30% to 39% for the district and 42% to 52% for the state. The school's performance is particularly low in subjects like writing and social studies, where proficiency rates are significantly below the district and state averages.

Highland Middle's academic performance is generally lower than that of the nearby magnet schools in the Jefferson County district, such as Meyzeek Middle, Noe Middle, and Barret Traditional Middle. These nearby schools have significantly higher proficiency rates in core subjects and are ranked much higher in the state, with several of them earning 4 or 5 stars from SchoolDigger. The stark contrast in performance between Highland Middle and these nearby magnet schools suggests that the school may be struggling to provide the same level of educational opportunities and resources to its students.

639

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,403

Per pupil spending ?

56%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1700 Norris Place
Louisville, KY 40205

(502) 485-8266

District: Jefferson County

Feeder schools for Highland Middle:

Elementary:	Bloom Elementary
	Field Elementary
	Hawthorne Elementary
	Maupin Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.4%

African American:

22.4%

Hispanic:

11.9%

See top rated Kentucky middle schools

Compare Highland Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 31st percentile in 2015 → 28th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kentucky average (35% vs 43% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (34% vs 25% Kentucky)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school35%

District avg30%

Kentucky avg43%

229^th of 320

Kentucky public middle schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 22Middle Schools in the Jefferson County

140^th of 157Jefferson County among Kentucky 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	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	31.1	229 of 320	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.8	263 of 324	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.8	280 of 327	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.9	272 of 320	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.0	216 of 282	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.6	262 of 335	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.7	286 of 322	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.9	297 of 330	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.0	277 of 331	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	37.5	233 of 337	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	37.7	231 of 335	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	49.8	168 of 335	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	39.7	202 of 319	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	36.7	215 of 304	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	33.9	216 of 299	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	38.7	197 of 289	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	47.8	149 of 287	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	61.7	100 of 284	64.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	32.7	59 of 83	28.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.2	70 of 80	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.7	78 of 79	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.2	82 of 84	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.2	80 of 96	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.1	82 of 96	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2018	55.1	21 of 35	40.0%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	18.9	217 of 226	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.6	211 of 219	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	30.1	227 of 298	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.1	255 of 300	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.5	258 of 295	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.6	273 of 299	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	29.0	176 of 233	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.7	235 of 299	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.2	266 of 290	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2024	42.2	7 of 9	22.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	36.3	89 of 131	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.9	95 of 123	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.5	90 of 119	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.4	69 of 120	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.3	25 of 120	79.2%	★★★★☆
2018	53.2	54 of 116	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	20.4	53 of 58	8.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	26.4	250 of 314	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.3	281 of 311	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.1	291 of 309	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.1	277 of 310	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.5	191 of 224	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.4	238 of 303	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.7	257 of 285	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	33.1	204 of 303	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.8	246 of 304	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.5	258 of 307	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.2	251 of 304	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.6	144 of 222	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.5	259 of 303	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.3	273 of 293	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	25.7	86 of 101	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.2	79 of 99	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.0	68 of 95	28.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	18.9	93 of 98	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	57.5	31 of 87	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	27.9	70 of 85	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	21.7	110 of 126	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.5	114 of 130	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.0	119 of 124	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	31.1	227 of 294	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	48.0	156 of 314	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.0	177 of 316	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.2	168 of 320	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.0	191 of 314	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	66.5	46 of 213	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	49.4	131 of 266	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.9	163 of 253	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

White (2025)50th percentile+22 vs school

Asian (2018)40th percentile+29 vs school

Male (2025)33rd percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)32nd percentile+4 vs school

African American (2025)29th percentile~ school

Female (2025)24th percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2024)22nd percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)20th percentile-8 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)15th percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2025)13th percentile-16 vs school

Homeless (2019)9th percentile-13 vs school

Disabled (2019)4th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Reading47%~ state avg

Editing and Mechanics39%-10 vs state

Mathematics33%-9 vs state

Science29%~ state avg

Social Studies29%-10 vs state

Writing14%-35 vs state

2.3

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★1

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3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, October 3, 2019

My daughter is currently being bullied the assistant principal ms hodge has failed to meet with me regarding a bus accident which she said she will not over step her boundaries but, how i see it the children are in the same grade level so its also part of her problem due to the fact we need to k ow how it started no one knew about the accident untill i brought it to they attention on Tuesday and let them know it happened monday it was taken care of thrusday because i showed up they are horrible with communication t Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, September 8, 2011

I would not recommend any child to attend Highland Middle School. My son is an eighth grader and I could not more glad that this is his last year. The team of teachers he assigned to does not promote positivity and none of them should have chosen teaching as a career.********DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO HIGHLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL******** Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Saturday, August 13, 2011

My kids have learned a lot and it seems that the teachers make it a fun place to learn. Learning field trips are exceptional and at no other school in Jefferson County, do I know where the kids get the same experience. As a parent, I am VERY PLEASED with Highland Middle School and their learning process. Close Quote

Schools Near Highland Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				KSA Mathematics (2025)				KSA Reading (2025)				KSA Science (2025)	KSA Writing (2025)	KSA Social Studies (2025)	KSA Editing and Mechanics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	KSA Mathematics 6th Grade	KSA Mathematics 7th Grade	KSA Mathematics 8th Grade	KSA Mathematics 10th Grade	KSA Reading 6th Grade	KSA Reading 7th Grade	KSA Reading 8th Grade	KSA Reading 10th Grade	KSA Science 7th Grade	KSA Writing 8th Grade	KSA Social Studies 8th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Highland Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1700 Norris Place	Louisville	40205	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8266	639	50	12.8	56.0%	341 (53.4%)	143 (22.4%)	76 (11.9%)	19 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (9.4%)	31.1	229^th of 320 public middle schools	28.4%		21.8	263^rd of 324 public middle schools	18.8%	34	31.0	43.0	24.0		53.0	55.0	34.0		29.0	14.0	29.0	39.0	$21,403	$1,129	$1,574	$2,703	$15,159	$3,540	$18,700
Jefferson County Traditional Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1418 Morton Ave	Louisville	40204	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	No	(502) 485-8272	813	44	18.3	53.1%	325 (40.0%)	331 (40.7%)	74 (9.1%)	21 (2.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (7.5%)	32.1	224^th of 320 public middle schools	30.0%		45.4	166^th of 324 public middle schools	48.8%	58	40.0	48.0	34.0		48.0	48.0	36.0		24.0	25.0	28.0	38.0	$18,626	$412	$1,689	$2,101	$12,968	$3,558	$16,525
Barret Traditional Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2561 Grinstead Drive	Louisville	40206	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	No	(502) 485-8207	579	36	16.3	46.5%	257 (44.4%)	195 (33.7%)	37 (6.4%)	45 (7.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.6%)	77.6	51^st of 320 public middle schools	84.1%		80.6	39^th of 324 public middle schools	88.0%	12	56.0	62.0	52.0		71.0	58.0	62.0		39.0	46.0	51.0	64.0	$19,200	$505	$1,533	$2,038	$13,774	$3,389	$17,163
Meyzeek Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	828 South Jackson Street	Louisville	40203	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	No	(502) 485-8299	847	51	16.7	50.5%	182 (21.5%)	293 (34.6%)	96 (11.3%)	231 (27.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (5.3%)	45.4	169^th of 320 public middle schools	47.2%		73.3	61^st of 324 public middle schools	81.2%	108	35.0	48.0	46.0		41.0	50.0	43.0		35.0	36.0	39.0	49.0	$19,145	$646	$1,798	$2,444	$13,038	$3,663	$16,701
Noe Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	121 West Lee Street	Louisville	40208	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	No	(502) 485-8307	1,155	59	19.7	42.8%	593 (51.3%)	276 (23.9%)	108 (9.4%)	106 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	71 (6.1%)	87.6	23^rd of 320 public middle schools	92.8%		79.9	41^st of 324 public middle schools	87.3%	18	67.0	58.0	60.0		77.0	60.0	66.0		43.0	60.0	63.0	69.0	$18,667	$714	$1,769	$2,483	$12,560	$3,625	$16,184
Newburg Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	4901 Exeter Avenue	Louisville	40218	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8306	615	46	13.3	67.8%	110 (17.9%)	270 (43.9%)	148 (24.1%)	47 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (6.5%)	12.2	300^th of 320 public middle schools	6.3%		12.9	296^th of 324 public middle schools	8.6%	4	26.0	30.0	28.0		31.0	29.0	29.0		14.0	21.0	29.0	30.0	$23,053	$1,365	$1,785	$3,150	$16,152	$3,750	$19,903
Thomas Jefferson Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1501 Rangeland Road	Louisville	40219	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8273	943	69	13.7	75.1%	149 (15.8%)	290 (30.8%)	430 (45.6%)	42 (4.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (3.2%)	2.3	316^th of 320 public middle schools	1.3%		1.8	323^rd of 324 public middle schools	0.3%	7	6.0		18.0		15.0	15.0	16.0			15.0	14.0	20.0	$23,025	$1,491	$2,081	$3,571	$15,400	$4,053	$19,454
Grace M. James Academy of Excellence	Public, Magnet	6-10	1615 West Broadway	Louisville	40203	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8123	440	34	13.1	65.2%	26 (5.9%)	348 (79.1%)	24 (5.5%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.0%)	49.8	149^th of 320 public middle schools	53.4%		29.6	236^th of 324 public middle schools	27.2%	87	28.0	36.0	34.0	44.0	65.0	63.0	52.0	58.0	22.0	36.0	44.0	61.0	$25,351	$908	$2,019	$2,927	$17,800	$4,625	$22,424
Frederick Law Olmsted Academy North	Public, Magnet	6-8	4530 Bellevue Avenue	Louisville	40215	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8331	470	36	13.2	78.3%	89 (18.9%)	216 (46.0%)	103 (21.9%)	29 (6.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.6%)	2.5	315^th of 320 public middle schools	1.6%		2.3	322^nd of 324 public middle schools	0.6%	7	15.0	16.0			16.0	7.0	15.0				19.0	18.0	$25,904	$1,859	$2,112	$3,971	$17,918	$4,016	$21,933
Johnson Traditional Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2509 Wilson Ave	Louisville	40210	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8277	516	26	19.6	74.8%	88 (17.1%)	336 (65.1%)	41 (7.9%)	21 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (5.6%)	4.2	314^th of 320 public middle schools	1.9%		4.6	316^th of 324 public middle schools	2.5%	2	6.0	20.0	17.0		18.0	30.0	18.0		7.0			28.0	$19,086	$1,061	$1,699	$2,760	$12,669	$3,657	$16,326

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Middle

What is the racial makeup of Highland Middle?

Students at Highland Middle are 53% White, 22% African American, 12% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is Highland Middle a good school?

Highland Middle ranks 229^th of 320 Kentucky middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Highland Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 639 students attended Highland Middle.

What district is Highland Middle in?

Jefferson County

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