Highland Middle

Highland Middle in Sanford, NC, is a public school serving roughly 762 students in grades 6–8 within Harnett County Schools, holding a steady 2-star ranking around the 36th percentile statewide — 497th of 778 middle schools in North Carolina — for the past decade. Around 64 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school's clearest academic strength is 8th-grade science: in 2025–2026, 69.6 percent of students scored proficient on the science EOG, above the district average of 62.1 percent and essentially matching the state's 68.6 percent.

Math and reading present a more uneven picture, with gaps that widen as students advance. Highland's 6th-grade math proficiency (57.5 percent) sits just 1.7 points below the state, yet by 8th grade the shortfall grows to more than 12 points; reading follows a similar trajectory. For parents weighing options, Western Harnett Middle — just 3.5 miles away in the same district — ranks at the 60th percentile and outperforms Highland in every math and reading test, while science is essentially tied. Highland, in turn, finishes well ahead of Overhills Middle in nearly every subject and grade.

Chronic absenteeism is the school's most pressing concern: 32.1 percent of students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, well above the district's 26.9 percent and the state's 24.2 percent. While improved from 42.8 percent in 2021–2022, the rate ticked upward again last year, suggesting the gains are fragile. Encouragingly, Highland's test scores have risen meaningfully since 2022–2023 — 6th-grade math climbed from 41.3 to 57.5 percent — yet its state ranking has barely moved because peer schools are improving just as quickly. Notably, SanLee Middle School and Crain's Creek Middle, which serve substantially higher poverty populations, post stronger rankings and outcomes, showing that economic disadvantage alone does not determine a school's academic results.