Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Highland Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

459^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 534 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 14% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Highland Middle School is a public school serving about 243 students in grades 6-8 in Cowiche, WA, as part of the Highland School District, which ranks in the lower third of districts statewide.

Academically, the school faces significant challenges, with student proficiency in English, Math, and Science all below state averages; Math scores are a particular area of concern, with only about 16.5% of students proficient, which is among the lowest rates compared to nearby schools like West Valley Mid-Level Campus (49.3%) and East Valley Central Middle School (30.4%). The school's statewide ranking has also declined over the past five years. However, it's important to note the school serves a community with high economic need, and it operates with lower per-student spending than most of its peers.

Despite the overall struggles, there are some comparative bright spots: the school's Science proficiency is more competitive with other schools, and it outperforms Washington Middle School in both English and Science. The smaller school size may offer a different community feel compared to larger area schools. Performance can vary by grade, with 8th graders showing relative strength in English, suggesting areas where the school's approach is more effective.

243

Students ?

18.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,620

Per pupil spending ?

76.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

17000 Summitview
Cowiche, WA 98923-9719

(509) 678-8870

District: Highland School District

Students who attend Highland Middle School usually attend:

High:

Highland High School

Feeder schools for Highland Middle School:

Elementary:

Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

79.0%

White:

20.6%

Asian:

0.4%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Highland Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 32nd percentile in 2015 → 14th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (28% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school28%

District avg38%

Washington avg48%

459^th of 534

Washington public middle schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 18 pts since 2015

From bottom 32% (2015) to bottom 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

165^th of 247Highland School District among Washington 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	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	17.1	459 of 534	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.1	482 of 535	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.3	395 of 539	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.2	370 of 541	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.1	309 of 529	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.9	346 of 512	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.7	354 of 437	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.7	375 of 435	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.3	355 of 443	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	32.8	302 of 445	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	31.1	370 of 498	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	34.3	349 of 497	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	18.1	435 of 492	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.9	368 of 483	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.7	363 of 476	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	24.0	382 of 466	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	24.6	376 of 463	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	20.5	377 of 449	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	32.6	310 of 425	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	24.5	344 of 421	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2018	32.8	93 of 135	31.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	19.7	388 of 471	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	368 of 464	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.8	368 of 464	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.6	314 of 479	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.4	245 of 469	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.9	291 of 452	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.1	303 of 376	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	25.5	270 of 347	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.1	274 of 344	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.0	170 of 336	49.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.8	131 of 360	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.4	100 of 353	71.7%	★★★★☆
2019	48.4	166 of 344	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	29.0	192 of 259	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	30.4	335 of 457	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.5	370 of 455	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.0	227 of 463	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.5	147 of 475	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	71.1	69 of 458	84.9%	★★★★☆
2019	50.1	214 of 448	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.4	232 of 349	33.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	17.4	403 of 472	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.6	429 of 466	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	30.5	330 of 470	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.8	353 of 480	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.2	313 of 476	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.9	332 of 453	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.5	335 of 371	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	59.7	11 of 39	71.8%	★★★★☆
2018	36.5	30 of 43	30.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	35.2	324 of 488	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.4	281 of 488	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.2	320 of 488	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.8	199 of 480	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.9	169 of 470	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	88.8	29 of 325	91.1%	★★★★★

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)

Migrant (2019)72nd percentile+39 vs school

White (2025)34th percentile+20 vs school

English Language Learner (2018)31st percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)27th percentile+13 vs school

Hispanic (2025)22nd percentile+8 vs school

Female (2025)18th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)15th percentile~ school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts34%-19 vs state

Science33%-16 vs state

Math17%-26 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Highland Middle School and help other families decide.

Rate Highland Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Highland Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)			SBAC English Language Arts (2025)					SBAC Math (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	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highland Middle School	Public	6-8	17000 Summitview	Cowiche	98923	Yakima County	Highland School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 678-8870	243	13	18.5	76.5%	50 (20.6%)	0 (0.0%)	192 (79.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17.1	459^th of 534 public middle schools	14.0%		13.1	482^nd of 535 public middle schools	9.9%	23		33.3	33.3		25.0	35.4	42.5	34.3		13.6	15.0	21.0	16.5	$14,620	$1,484	$13,136
Naches Valley Middle School	Public	5-8	32 Shafer Avenue	Naches	98937	Yakima County	Naches Valley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 653-1599	427	22	19.1	50.6%	303 (71.0%)	2 (0.5%)	104 (24.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.0%)	35.4	336^th of 534 public middle schools	37.1%		30.9	365^th of 535 public middle schools	31.8%	29	48.0	32.0	39.9	40.6	46.5	45.1	43.9	44.0	27.5	37.3	28.6	30.8	31.1	$17,078	$583	$16,495
West Valley Virtual Academy 7-8	Public, Virtual	7-8	9206 Zier Road	Yakima	98908	Yakima County	West Valley School District (Yakima)	No	No	Yes	No	(509) 823-2602	21	0		61.9%	16 (76.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.8%)								(n/a)														$7,450	$90	$7,360
West Valley Mid-Level Campus	Public	6-8	7505 Zier Rd	Yakima	98908	Yakima County	West Valley School District (Yakima)	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 972-5800	1,167	62	18.7	54.7%	612 (52.4%)	10 (0.9%)	472 (40.4%)	31 (2.7%)	8 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (2.9%)	60.2	186^th of 534 public middle schools	65.2%		62.4	181^st of 535 public middle schools	66.2%	5		42.4	42.4		57.1	52.4	47.2	52.4		42.1	49.7	56.9	49.3	$16,150	$770	$15,380
Selah Middle School	Public	6-8	411 North First Street	Selah	98942	Yakima County	Selah School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 698-8400	871	47	18.5	51.7%	508 (58.3%)	3 (0.3%)	320 (36.7%)	4 (0.5%)	10 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	25 (2.9%)	24.9	414^th of 534 public middle schools	22.5%		30.3	371^st of 535 public middle schools	30.7%	43		36.6	36.6		36.1	34.1	36.2	35.5		24.2	34.3	24.2	27.5	$15,488	$479	$15,009
Wilson Middle School	Public	6-8	902 S 44th Ave	Yakima	98908	Yakima County	Yakima School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 573-2400	840	43	19.5	75.2%	170 (20.2%)	11 (1.3%)	619 (73.7%)	6 (0.7%)	8 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.1%)	17.4	457^th of 534 public middle schools	14.4%		25.8	396^th of 535 public middle schools	26.0%	61		30.3	30.3		27.3	34.9	40.2	33.7		20.4	22.6	17.0	20.2	$16,600	$1,563	$15,037
Franklin Middle School	Public	6-8	410 S 19th Ave	Yakima	98902	Yakima County	Yakima School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 573-2100	848	42	20.1	85.0%	152 (17.9%)	16 (1.9%)	653 (77.0%)	5 (0.6%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	16 (1.9%)	22.9	428^th of 534 public middle schools	19.9%		22.6	430^th of 535 public middle schools	19.6%	2		29.5	29.5		32.1	46.7	47.5	42.0		21.7	17.2	18.0	19.0	$16,374	$1,271	$15,103
Lewis & Clark Middle School	Public	6-8	1114 W Pierce St	Yakima	98902	Yakima County	Yakima School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 573-2200	815	44	18.6	90.2%	60 (7.4%)	4 (0.5%)	732 (89.8%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.1%)	13.2	475^th of 534 public middle schools	11.0%		13.2	480^th of 535 public middle schools	10.3%	5		26.1	26.1		25.2	25.4	33.1	27.7		19.4	13.4	25.2	19.0	$16,537	$1,326	$15,212
Washington Middle School	Public	6-8	510 S 9th St	Yakima	98901	Yakima County	Yakima School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 573-2300	748	40	18.7	96.0%	26 (3.5%)	6 (0.8%)	699 (93.4%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.2%)	8.6	505^th of 534 public middle schools	5.4%		7.6	520^th of 535 public middle schools	2.8%	15		12.1	12.1		29.0	22.7	17.0	22.7		19.8	17.4	15.7	17.6	$16,469	$1,392	$15,077
East Valley Central Middle School	Public	6-8	2010 Beaudry Rd	Yakima	98901	Yakima County	East Valley School District (Yakima)	No	No	No	No	(509) 573-7500	792	42	18.8	62.4%	297 (37.5%)	10 (1.3%)	448 (56.6%)	5 (0.6%)	8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (2.8%)	38.9	313^th of 534 public middle schools	41.4%		43.9	285^th of 535 public middle schools	46.7%	28		42.6	42.6		48.1	49.6	44.4	47.3		32.1	29.6	29.6	30.4	$15,011	$827	$14,185

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Middle School

Is Highland Middle School a good school?

Highland Middle School ranks in the bottom 14.0% of Washington middle schools.

How many students attend Highland Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 243 students attended Highland Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Highland Middle School?

Students at Highland Middle School are 79% Hispanic, 21% White.

What high school do graduates of Highland Middle School attend?

Students who attend Highland Middle School usually go on to attend Highland High School

What district is Highland Middle School in?

Highland School District

Rate Highland Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WAWashington Middle School Rankings

WAWashington District Rankings

Schools in Cowiche, WA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Highland Middle School!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

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.