Highlands Middle School

Q: Is Highlands Middle School a good school?

Highlands Middle School ranks 520 th of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public 5-8

1350 Broadview Boulevard
Natrona Heights, PA 15065-1198

(724) 226-0600

District: Highlands School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
520^th of 893 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,152

Students who attend Highlands Middle School usually attend:

High:

Highlands Senior High School

Feeder schools for Highlands Middle School:

Elementary:	Highlands Early Childhood Center
	Highlands Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.6

Number of students: 652

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.3%

Two or more races:

13.8%

African American:

7.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Highlands Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Highlands Middle School ranks worse than 58.2% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.02. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (73.3%), two or more races (13.8%), African American (7.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highlands Middle School is 11.6. (See more...)

Compare Highlands Middle School employs 56 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highlands Middle School is $17,152.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Highlands Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands Middle School 520^th of 893 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Highlands Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

White students:

Highlands School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands School District 425^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Highlands Middle School.

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Rank History for Highlands Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	68.51	230^th	643	64.2%
2004	53.69	384^th	663	42.1%
2005	65.89	267^th	687	61.1%
2006	63.33	301^st	736	59.1%
2007	61.87	327^th	749	56.3%
2008	60.42	348^th	753	53.8%
2009	45.41	525^th	770	31.8%
2010	52.09	490^th	805	39.1%
2011	48.97	529^th	825	35.9%
2012	56.72	450^th	834	46.0%
2013	51.92	455^th	758	40.0%
2014	44.87	466^th	728	36.0%
2015	45.48	496^th	835	40.6%
2016	42.82	540^th	870	37.9%
2017	40.11	553^rd	877	36.9%
2018	43.91	524^th	861	39.1%
2019	44.18	539^th	891	39.5%
2021	50.95	402^nd	797	49.6%
2022	39.82	556^th	883	37.0%
2023	44.02	520^th	893	41.8%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	25.23	144^th	187	23.0%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	42.22	518^th	874	40.7%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	35.40	409^th	660	38.0%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for White students at Highlands Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.01	528^th	681	22.5%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, March 31, 2022

The worst!!!
Where do I start?
Incompetent staff, not existent communication with parents unless things already got out of hand. I feel for my kids having to deal with this everyday. Bad reviews everywhere now I understand why. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Highlands Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1990	681	21	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	706
1991	700	23	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	725
1992	715	24	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	742
1993	783	27	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	813
1994	804	40	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	845
1995	743	33	5	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	784
1996	743	33	5	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	784
1997	724	42	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	774
1998	703	40	3	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	753
1999	696	50	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	754
2000	690	36	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	733
2001	673	55	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	737
2002	620	56	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	684
2003	620	56	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	684
2004	577	54	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	635
2005	614	62	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	678
2006	639	72	1	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	716
2007	628	62	2	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	699
2008	600	58	3	4	2	n/a	n/a	2	669
2009	543	56	8	4	1	n/a	n/a	5	617
2010	549	61	9	4	2	n/a	n/a	5	630
2011	534	55	5	5	4	0	6	0	609
2012	509	55	4	7	4	0	9	0	588
2013	498	57	4	5	3	1	13	0	581
2014	476	51	3	6	0	0	15	0	551
2015	497	52	4	8	0	1	33	0	595
2016	515	52	5	7	0	1	39	0	619
2017	498	49	4	7	3	1	33	0	595
2018	457	56	6	7	1	0	37	0	564
2019	625	81	4	16	3	0	56	0	785
2020	589	70	3	16	2	0	81	0	761
2021	567	62	5	16	4	0	63	0	717
2022	512	59	4	17	4	0	78	0	674
2023	478	50	8	22	4	0	90	0	652

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Highlands Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	706	50.0	14.1	0
1991	725	56.0	12.9	n/a
1992	742	56.0	13.2	n/a
1993	813	48.5	16.8	n/a
1994	845	48.5	17.4	n/a
1995	784	46.5	16.9	n/a
1996	784	46.5	16.9	n/a
1997	774	51.0	15.2	n/a
1998	753	51.0	14.8	n/a
1999	754	50.0	15.1	n/a
2000	733	49.0	15.0	39.2
2001	737	49.5	14.9	39.8
2002	684	54.0	12.7	40.2
2003	684	54.0	12.7	40.2
2004	635	54.0	11.8	43.3
2005	678	52.0	13.0	40.6
2006	716	51.0	14.0	47.9
2007	699	55.0	12.7	48.1
2008	669	64.0	10.5	49.5
2009	617	54.6	11.3	47.7
2010	630	52.6	11.9	60.2
2011	609	52.3	11.6	61.6
2012	588	50.8	11.5	45.1
2013	581	48.3	12.0	52.3
2014	551	47.3	11.6	61.7
2015	595	49.0	12.1	99.5
2016	619	43.0	14.3	100
2017	595	39.0	15.2	100
2018	564	45.0	12.5	92.2
2019	785	55.8	14.0	100
2020	761	56.3	13.5	100
2021	717	56.4	12.6	99.6
2022	674	53.6	12.5	99.6
2023	652	56.0	11.6	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Highlands Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	706	50.0	14.1	0
1991	725	56.0	12.9	n/a
1992	742	56.0	13.2	n/a
1993	813	48.5	16.8	n/a
1994	845	48.5	17.4	n/a
1995	784	46.5	16.9	n/a
1996	784	46.5	16.9	n/a
1997	774	51.0	15.2	n/a
1998	753	51.0	14.8	n/a
1999	754	50.0	15.1	n/a
2000	733	49.0	15.0	39.2
2001	737	49.5	14.9	39.8
2002	684	54.0	12.7	40.2
2003	684	54.0	12.7	40.2
2004	635	54.0	11.8	43.3
2005	678	52.0	13.0	40.6
2006	716	51.0	14.0	47.9
2007	699	55.0	12.7	48.1
2008	669	64.0	10.5	49.5
2009	617	54.6	11.3	47.7
2010	630	52.6	11.9	60.2
2011	609	52.3	11.6	61.6
2012	588	50.8	11.5	45.1
2013	581	48.3	12.0	52.3
2014	551	47.3	11.6	61.7
2015	595	49.0	12.1	99.5
2016	619	43.0	14.3	100
2017	595	39.0	15.2	100
2018	564	45.0	12.5	92.2
2019	785	55.8	14.0	100
2020	761	56.3	13.5	100
2021	717	56.4	12.6	99.6
2022	674	53.6	12.5	99.6
2023	652	56.0	11.6	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Highlands Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$355 (2.4%)	$14,422 (97.6%)	$14,776
2020	$106 (0.7%)	$15,111 (99.3%)	$15,218
2021	$392 (2.6%)	$14,920 (97.4%)	$15,312
2022	$1,204 (7.0%)	$15,947 (93.0%)	$17,152

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highlands Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 539^th of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 520^th of 893 Middle schools	2.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade Math (Highlands Middle School)	41.7	37.2	4.5%
5th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	43	42.7	0.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Highlands Middle School)	51.1	48.9	2.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	58.5	53.6	4.9%
6th Grade Math (Highlands Middle School)	31.3	29.9	1.4%
6th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	39	36.4	2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Highlands Middle School)	58.5	44.2	14.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63	55.6	7.4%
7th Grade Math (Highlands Middle School)	25.5	22.9	2.6%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Highlands Middle School)	57.1	46.4	10.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (Highlands Middle School)	24.5	21	3.5%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Highlands Middle School)	48.4	50.7	2.3%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Highlands Middle School)	50.3	48.3	2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Highlands Middle School)	31.2	27.6	3.6%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Highlands Middle School)	48.4	50.7	2.3%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Highlands Middle School)	54.3	47.1	7.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	785	652	16.9%
African American	81	50	38.3%
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	4	8	100%
Hispanic	16	22	37.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	625	478	23.5%
Two or More Races	56	90	60.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Highlands Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				PSSA Math (2023)					PSSA Science (2023)		PSSA English Language Arts (2023)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highlands Middle School	Public	5-8	1350 Broadview Boulevard	Natrona Heights	15065	Allegheny County	Highlands School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(724) 226-0600	652	56	11.6	100.0%	478 (73.3%)	50 (7.7%)	22 (3.4%)	8 (1.2%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (13.8%)	44	520^th of 893 public middle schools	41.8%		39.8	556^th of 883 public middle schools	37.0%	36	37.2	29.9	22.9	21.0	27.6	50.7	50.7	48.9	44.2	46.4	48.3	47.1	$17,152	$1,204	$15,947
Charles A Huston Middle School	Public	6-8	1020 Puckety Church Rd	Lower Burrell	15068	Westmoreland County	Burrell School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(724) 334-1443	416	29	14.1	39.7%	379 (91.1%)	8 (1.9%)	8 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.8%)	42.3	534^th of 893 public middle schools	40.2%		43.5	528^th of 883 public middle schools	40.2%	6		25.6	24.8	20.4	23.7	55.2	55.2		48.0	41.0	44.4	44.5	$15,790	$506	$15,283
Freeport Area Middle School	Public	6-8	629 South Pike Rd.	Sarver	16055	Butler County	Freeport Area School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(724) 295-9020	426	31	13.7	28.4%	414 (97.2%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	85	104^th of 893 public middle schools	88.4%		89.3	64^th of 883 public middle schools	92.8%	40		61.7	57.7	34.1	50.8	63.9	63.9		72.5	81.1	68.8	74.0	$14,874	$414	$14,460
Deer Lakes Middle School	Public	6-8	17 East Union Road	Cheswick	15024	Allegheny County	Deer Lakes School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(724) 265-5310	422	34	12.2	37.9%	402 (95.3%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.6%)	69.5	252^nd of 893 public middle schools	71.8%		74.6	193^rd of 883 public middle schools	78.1%	59		58.5	38.7	33.1	42.8	61.7	61.7		61.0	50.8	57.9	56.4	$16,308	$1,114	$15,194
Leechburg Area Middle School	Public	6-8	215 1st St.	Leechburg	15656	Armstrong County	Leechburg Area School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(724) 845-7701	152	12	12.3	46.1%	142 (93.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.9%)	60.1	359^th of 893 public middle schools	59.8%		45.9	497^th of 883 public middle schools	43.7%	138		63.7	27.4	27.5	39.3	62.5	62.5		63.6	37.2	52.5	50.4	$20,100	$2,631	$17,469
Kiski Area IHS	Public	7-8	260 Hyde Park Rd	Vandergrift	15690	Westmoreland County	Kiski Area School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(724) 845-2219	543	28	19.3	55.6%	493 (90.8%)	30 (5.5%)	14 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	53.5	431^st of 893 public middle schools	51.7%		64.6	307^th of 883 public middle schools	65.2%	124			31.8	17.5	24.7	58.1	58.1			60.0	43.9	51.9	$19,498	$757	$18,740
Dorseyville Middle School	Public	6-8	3732 Saxonburg Blvd	Pittsburgh	15238	Allegheny County	Fox Chapel Area School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(412) 767-5343	967	76	12.7	24.4%	753 (77.9%)	42 (4.3%)	46 (4.8%)	80 (8.3%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (4.4%)	97.6	10^th of 893 public middle schools	98.9%		96.5	12^th of 883 public middle schools	98.6%	2		76.7	69.2	63.7	69.8	89.8	89.8		88.3	87.9	88.1	88.1	$21,385	$417	$20,968
Kiski Area Upper Elementary School	Public	5-6	4728 Route 66	Apollo	15613	Westmoreland County	Kiski Area School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(724) 727-3426	493	35	14.0	100.0%	445 (90.3%)	36 (7.3%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)								(n/a)	44.4	31.4			38.1			69.4	69.0			69.2	$19,563	$654	$18,909
Holiday Park Intermediate School	Public	5-6	100 School Road	Pittsburgh	15239	Allegheny County	Plum Borough School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(724) 733-1500	542	34	15.7	27.5%	462 (85.2%)	35 (6.5%)	7 (1.3%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.5%)								(n/a)	67.8	54.9			61.2			63.8	55.9			59.7	$16,698	$430	$16,268
Plum Middle School	Public	7-8	440 Presque Isle Dr	Pittsburgh	15239	Allegheny County	Plum Borough School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(724) 733-2400	557	32	17.2	24.6%	483 (86.7%)	30 (5.4%)	11 (2.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.2%)	71.8	225^th of 893 public middle schools	74.8%		75.7	181^st of 883 public middle schools	79.5%	44			44.5	29.1	36.5	64.8	64.8			61.0	58.5	59.7	$17,840	$459	$17,380

Frequently Asked Questions about Highlands Middle School

What district is Highlands Middle School in?

Highlands School District

Is Highlands Middle School a good school?

Highlands Middle School ranks 520^th of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Highlands Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 652 students attended Highlands Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Highlands Middle School attend?

Students who attend Highlands Middle School usually go on to attend Highlands Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Highlands Middle School?

Students at Highlands Middle School are 73% White, 14% Two or more races, 8% African American, 3% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

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

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