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Highland Springs Middle

Q: Is Highland Springs Middle a good school?

Highland Springs Middle ranks 80 th of 335 South Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

80^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 335 South Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 76% of South Carolina middle schools

Summary

Highland Springs Middle in North Augusta, SC, serves 534 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Aiken 01 school district.

This school is a standout success story. Despite 100% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, Highland Springs Middle has climbed to the 76th percentile in state rankings—a remarkable jump from the 61st percentile just one year prior. Students are outperforming state averages in every subject and grade level. For example, 8th grade ELA proficiency is 72.7% (compared to the 58.9% state average), and 8th grade math proficiency is 49.3% (compared to the 44.2% state average). The most dramatic improvement has been in math, where 8th grade proficiency soared from just 17.2% two years ago to nearly 50% today. The school also boasts a 92% pass rate on the Algebra 1 end-of-course exam, far exceeding district and state averages. When compared to nearby schools, Highland Springs outperforms North Augusta Middle and Langley-Bath-Clearwater Middle in nearly every category, and its 8th grade math proficiency is nearly double that of Leavelle McCampbell Middle.

What makes this school particularly special is its consistent success with students who often face the biggest challenges. Highland Springs ranks in the 83rd percentile for African American student performance and the 80th percentile for students from low-income families—both top-tier results. The school also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (20.3%) among comparable schools in the district, well below the state average. While the school excels broadly, it continues to focus on improving support for students with disabilities, who currently rank in the 29th percentile. However, given the school's proven track record of rapid, school-wide improvement—including significant gains for male, female, Hispanic, and White students over the past year—there's every reason to believe these areas will see progress too. For parents, this is a school where students consistently grow academically from 6th through 8th grade, and where dedicated teaching is making a real difference.

534

Students ?

19.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,335

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

822 Fountainhead Drive
North Augusta, SC 29841

(803) 844-9601

District: Aiken 01

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.8%

African American:

27.0%

Hispanic:

17.6%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare Highland Springs Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 61st percentile in 2025 → 76th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (58% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 24% of South Carolina middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2025

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg44%

South Carolina avg51%

80^th of 335

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 24%▲ up 15 pts since 2025

From top 39% (2025) to top 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 10Middle Schools in the Aiken 01

37^th of 75Aiken 01 among South Carolina 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	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.1	80 of 335	76.1%	★★★★☆
2025	56.4	124 of 320	61.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.8	43 of 257	83.3%	★★★★☆
2025	70.2	39 of 252	84.5%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	33.2	131 of 184	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.5	89 of 305	70.8%	★★★★☆
2025	54.8	118 of 295	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.2	77 of 185	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.5	99 of 173	42.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.8	52 of 159	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.7	79 of 156	49.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.3	63 of 320	80.3%	★★★★☆
2025	66.5	80 of 307	73.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	75.4	66 of 306	78.4%	★★★★☆
2025	56.5	119 of 296	59.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.5	84 of 268	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.9	134 of 257	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)83rd percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)80th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)78th percentile~ school

Female (2026)71st percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)69th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)67th percentile-9 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)58th percentile-18 vs school

Disabled (2025)29th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts66%+8 vs state

Science61%+9 vs state

Mathematics49%+6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Highland Springs Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)			SC READY Mathematics (2026)			SC READY Science (2026)	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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 6th 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 Springs Middle	Public	6-8	822 Fountainhead Drive	North Augusta	29841	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 844-9601	534	28	19.0		255 (47.8%)	144 (27.0%)	94 (17.6%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.9%)	72.1	80^th of 335 public middle schools	76.1%		56.4	124^th of 320 public middle schools	61.3%	44	60.1	64.5	72.7	48.0	48.6	49.3	61.3	$13,335	$839	$1,155	$1,994	$9,977	$1,364	$11,341
North Augusta Middle	Public	6-8	725 Old Edgefield Road	North Augusta	29841	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 442-6200	492	27	18.2		211 (42.9%)	137 (27.8%)	102 (20.7%)	5 (1.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.9%)	61.9	110^th of 335 public middle schools	67.2%		55.7	126^th of 320 public middle schools	60.6%	16	57.8	60.4	62.4	49.1	41.6	41.5	57.9	$11,811	$855	$1,067	$1,922	$8,624	$1,266	$9,889
Paul Knox Middle	Public	6-8	1804 Wells Road	North Augusta	29841	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 442-6300	573	31	18.4		292 (51.0%)	155 (27.1%)	79 (13.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (7.5%)	67.1	95^th of 335 public middle schools	71.6%		66.2	96^th of 320 public middle schools	70.0%	1	55.7	71.1	72.9	37.7	49.4	48.6	54.2	$11,697	$953	$1,118	$2,071	$8,517	$1,109	$9,626
Langley-Bath-Clearwater Middle	Public	6-8	29 Lions Trail	Warrenville	29851	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 593-7260	476	29	16.4		238 (50.0%)	109 (22.9%)	105 (22.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.6%)	21.9	268^th of 335 public middle schools	20.0%		22.7	252^nd of 320 public middle schools	21.3%	16	36.7	47.3	49.3	20.2	19.9	26.8	38.6	$12,604	$1,248	$1,067	$2,315	$9,201	$1,088	$10,289
Merriwether Middle	Public	6-8	430 Murrah Road	North Augusta	29860	Edgefield County	Edgefield 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 279-2511	365	25	14.6		231 (63.3%)	77 (21.1%)	33 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.3%)	63.2	105^th of 335 public middle schools	68.7%		69.1	87^th of 320 public middle schools	72.8%	18	59.6	66.4	68.6	49.0	36.2	49.2	44.3	$14,196	$966	$564	$1,530	$11,123	$1,544	$12,666
Leavelle McCampbell Middle	Public	6-8	1120 Weldon Way	Graniteville	29829	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 663-4300	540	26	20.7		207 (38.3%)	194 (35.9%)	99 (18.3%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (6.1%)	32.6	224^th of 335 public middle schools	33.1%		27.2	242^nd of 320 public middle schools	24.4%	18	50.3	55.2	43.1	32.3	25.8	17.0	47.1	$11,195	$568	$1,188	$1,756	$8,443	$997	$9,440
M. B. Kennedy Middle	Public	6-8	274 East Pine Log Road	Aiken	29803	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2470	643	34	19.0		285 (44.3%)	221 (34.4%)	89 (13.8%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (6.2%)	41.9	193^rd of 335 public middle schools	42.4%		40.8	184^th of 320 public middle schools	42.5%	9		55.2	57.0		34.0	32.4		$12,016	$723	$1,169	$1,892	$9,051	$1,073	$10,124
Schofield Middle	Public	7-8	224 Kershaw Street Northeast	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2770	356	26	13.6		76 (21.3%)	208 (58.4%)	52 (14.6%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.9%)	17.3	291^st of 335 public middle schools	13.1%		14.8	279^th of 320 public middle schools	12.8%	12		37.8	43.9		20.6	27.5		$14,127	$617	$1,270	$1,888	$10,793	$1,446	$12,239
Aiken Intermediate	Public	6	101 Gator Lane	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2570	427	26	16.7		155 (36.3%)	189 (44.3%)	53 (12.4%)	6 (1.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.9%)								(n/a)	51.0			30.1			53.2	$10,621	$882	$927	$1,808	$7,946	$866	$8,812
Jackson STEM Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	18371 Atomic Road	Jackson	29831	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 279-3525	302	20	15.1		132 (43.7%)	116 (38.4%)	30 (9.9%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.3%)	29.2	246^th of 335 public middle schools	26.6%		31.9	222^nd of 320 public middle schools	30.6%	24	40.0	54.7	47.3	19.0	24.4	31.6	47.5	$13,573	$596	$1,165	$1,761	$10,909	$903	$11,812

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Springs Middle

Is Highland Springs Middle a good school?

Highland Springs Middle ranks 80^th of 335 South Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Highland Springs Middle?

Students at Highland Springs Middle are 48% White, 27% African American, 18% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

How many students attend Highland Springs Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 534 students attended Highland Springs Middle.

What district is Highland Springs Middle in?

Aiken 01

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresNewAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

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