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Highlands Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

434^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 514 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 16% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Highlands Middle School is a Kennewick, Washington, public school serving about 745 students in grades 6–8 within the Kennewick School District. Located in the Tri-Cities area, it serves a relatively high-need community, with 76.51% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals.

Academic results improved in 2025–26, but they remain below district and state averages. Proficiency was 30.76% in ELA, 22.13% in math, and 30.40% in science. Math is the weakest subject, while science showed the strongest recent progress, increasing 8.12 percentage points in one year. Results are consistently low across grades, with seventh grade the weakest in both ELA and math. Highlands ranked 434th of 514 Washington middle schools, around the 16th percentile—an improvement from the prior year, but still a relatively low statewide position.

Compared with nearby schools, Highlands had the lowest ELA and math results among the five Kennewick middle schools in the comparison. Desert Hills Middle School, about 3.66 miles away, exceeded Highlands by more than 20 percentage points in every subject, while Chinook Middle School and Horse Heaven Hills Middle School also posted stronger results. Park Middle School is the closest comparison by student need: Highlands had better science results but lower ELA and math results. Highlands has a favorable 17.5-to-1 student-teacher ratio and the highest reported per-student spending among its nearby district peers, suggesting that improvement may depend less on overall resource levels and more on how support is delivered. The school’s especially low effectiveness rankings for English learners, migrant students, and students from low-income backgrounds point to important areas for focused support.

745

Students ?

17.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,772

Per pupil spending ?

76.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

425 South Tweedt Street
Kennewick, WA 99336-4399

(509) 222-6700

District: Kennewick School District

Feeder schools for Highlands Middle School:

Elementary:	Edison Elementary School
	Hawthorne Elementary School
	Westgate Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

59.7%

White:

33.6%

Two or more races:

3.9%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 19th percentile in 2016 → 16th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (26% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 22 pts below the Washington average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg43%

Washington avg48%

434^th of 514

Washington public middle schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5Middle Schools in the Kennewick School District

124^th of 238Kennewick 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
2026	17.3	434 of 514	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.4	489 of 534	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.9	463 of 535	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.7	475 of 539	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.3	497 of 541	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.5	460 of 529	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.5	468 of 512	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.4	385 of 437	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	9.4	407 of 435	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	21.4	361 of 443	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	18.8	370 of 445	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	9.6	471 of 498	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	22.7	410 of 497	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	17.4	438 of 492	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	25.6	382 of 483	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.3	367 of 476	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	23.7	385 of 466	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	34.5	327 of 463	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	28.2	348 of 449	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	46.8	247 of 425	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2004	35.4	297 of 421	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	19.1	98 of 111	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	14.2	139 of 143	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.8	82 of 100	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.3	112 of 135	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	16.1	386 of 443	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.9	418 of 471	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.3	403 of 464	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.4	419 of 464	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.4	457 of 479	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.3	422 of 469	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.0	419 of 452	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.4	347 of 376	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	21.8	294 of 347	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.1	304 of 347	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.6	272 of 344	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.5	294 of 336	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.5	325 of 360	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.3	304 of 353	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.6	313 of 344	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.8	237 of 259	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	35.8	44 of 59	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	17.9	401 of 453	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.3	420 of 457	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	382 of 455	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.0	400 of 463	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.8	422 of 475	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.3	373 of 458	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.2	299 of 349	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	17.6	386 of 454	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.0	445 of 472	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	404 of 466	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.0	409 of 470	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.5	423 of 480	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.6	388 of 476	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.7	407 of 453	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.6	324 of 371	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	16.0	32 of 33	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.0	28 of 28	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.1	26 of 29	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.9	34 of 36	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.3	36 of 36	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.2	36 of 38	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.1	34 of 39	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.4	36 of 43	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	30.0	167 of 222	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.8	101 of 166	39.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2018	30.5	194 of 268	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	28.9	334 of 453	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.0	439 of 488	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.4	405 of 486	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.4	408 of 488	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.1	399 of 488	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.7	332 of 480	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	19.7	400 of 470	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.7	298 of 325	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2018)28th percentile+16 vs school

White (2026)26th percentile+11 vs school

Homeless (2019)25th percentile+17 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)25th percentile+9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)15th percentile~ school

Male (2026)15th percentile~ school

Female (2026)13th percentile-3 vs school

African American (2019)12th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)11th percentile-4 vs school

Migrant (2026)3rd percentile-13 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)3rd percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts31%-22 vs state

Science30%-21 vs state

Math22%-21 vs state

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What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, October 5, 2010

There's a lot of bullying and fighting on school grounds. The teachers and staff do the best they can, but are under staffed to deal with issues where I feel my daughter will be safe. I am debating transferring her to another school. Kids should feel safe going to school since it's the law they have to attend. The staff is wonderful! They just have their hands full! Close Quote

Schools Near Highlands Middle School

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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)				WCAS Science (2026)		SBAC English Language Arts (2026)				SBAC Math (2026)				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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	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 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
Highlands Middle School	Public	6-8	425 South Tweedt Street	Kennewick	99336	Benton County	Kennewick School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 222-6700	745	42	17.5	76.5%	250 (33.6%)	9 (1.2%)	445 (59.7%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	29 (3.9%)	17.3	434^th of 514 public middle schools	15.6%		11.4	489^th of 534 public middle schools	8.4%	55	30.4	30.4	33.0	27.2	32.0	30.8	23.6	20.3	22.5	22.1	$17,772	$1,835	$15,937
Chinook Middle School	Public	6-8	6011 W 10th Place	Kennewick	99338	Benton County	Kennewick School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 222-7500	950	43	22.1	41.3%	503 (52.9%)	21 (2.2%)	344 (36.2%)	20 (2.1%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	56 (5.9%)	59.7	178^th of 514 public middle schools	65.4%		49.1	253^rd of 534 public middle schools	52.6%	75	43.1	43.1	57.9	63.6	56.3	59.1	39.0	41.1	32.9	37.5	$15,362	$1,649	$13,713
Park Middle School	Public	6-8	1011 West 10th Avenue	Kennewick	99336	Benton County	Kennewick School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 222-6900	688	40	17.4	85.2%	126 (18.3%)	12 (1.7%)	489 (71.1%)	23 (3.3%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.2%)	28 (4.1%)	28	369^th of 514 public middle schools	28.2%		19.5	442^nd of 534 public middle schools	17.2%	73	26.2	26.2	41.6	36.2	46.3	41.5	34.1	19.4	22.8	25.3	$15,799	$1,584	$14,214
Horse Heaven Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	3500 South Vancouver Street	Kennewick	99337	Benton County	Kennewick School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 585-3260	856	41	20.7	55.0%	419 (48.9%)	31 (3.6%)	356 (41.6%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (5.0%)	35	327^th of 514 public middle schools	36.4%		26.5	401^st of 534 public middle schools	24.9%	74	43.0	43.0	40.6	51.0	45.4	45.6	29.5	21.2	23.0	24.6	$15,042	$1,414	$13,628
Stevens Middle School	Public	6-8	1120 N 22nd Avenue	Pasco	99301	Franklin County	Pasco School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 543-6798	956	51	18.7	91.7%	34 (3.6%)	2 (0.2%)	902 (94.4%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.2%)	4 (0.4%)	6.6	500^th of 514 public middle schools	2.7%		7.6	514^th of 534 public middle schools	3.7%	14	17.1	17.1	13.9	29.8	23.8	22.5	13.9	12.3	8.4	11.5	$16,039	$778	$15,261
Mcloughlin Middle School	Public	6-8	2803 N Road 88	Pasco	99301	Franklin County	Pasco School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 547-4542	1,171	54	21.6	58.9%	387 (33.0%)	15 (1.3%)	701 (59.9%)	20 (1.7%)	2 (0.2%)	7 (0.6%)	38 (3.2%)	24.6	388^th of 514 public middle schools	24.5%		27.6	395^th of 534 public middle schools	26.0%	7	34.2	34.2	29.6	42.0	42.1	37.9	20.4	26.8	24.1	23.7	$16,345	$696	$15,649
Desert Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	1701 S Clodfelter Rd	Kennewick	99338	Benton County	Kennewick School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 222-6600	906	40	22.4	24.6%	673 (74.3%)	11 (1.2%)	148 (16.3%)	17 (1.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (6.1%)	77.6	104^th of 514 public middle schools	79.8%		73.5	117^th of 534 public middle schools	78.1%	13	53.2	53.2	60.5	65.1	64.8	63.4	46.4	50.0	56.6	50.9	$14,592	$1,989	$12,602
Ellen Ochoa Middle School	Public	6-8	1801 E Sheppard St	Pasco	99301	Franklin County	Pasco School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 543-6742	831	44	18.9	91.0%	23 (2.8%)	7 (0.8%)	769 (92.5%)	24 (2.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.8%)	4.8	508^th of 514 public middle schools	1.2%		4.6	527^th of 534 public middle schools	1.3%	19	19.5	19.5	14.3	15.6	19.1	16.4	8.1	11.9	12.0	10.7	$16,890	$917	$15,973
Ray Reynolds Middle School	Public	6-8	9507 Burns Rd	Pasco	99301	Franklin County	Pasco School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 543-6700	1,294	64	20.3	54.9%	432 (33.4%)	13 (1.0%)	775 (59.9%)	25 (1.9%)	2 (0.2%)	7 (0.5%)	39 (3.0%)	37.6	305^th of 514 public middle schools	40.7%		35.6	334^th of 534 public middle schools	37.5%	29	41.2	41.2	43.8	42.9	42.8	43.1	32.2	33.7	28.7	31.6	$15,452	$607	$14,845
Carmichael Middle School	Public	6-8	620 Thayer Drive	Richland	99352	Benton County	Richland School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 967-6425	791	39	20.4	49.6%	489 (61.8%)	15 (1.9%)	212 (26.8%)	21 (2.7%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	47 (5.9%)	35.3	324^th of 514 public middle schools	37.0%		40.6	302^nd of 534 public middle schools	43.4%	22	37.3	37.3	37.7	48.9	30.1	38.8	33.2	34.1	34.6	34.0	$15,687	$330	$15,358

Frequently Asked Questions about Highlands Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Highlands Middle School?

Students at Highlands Middle School are 60% Hispanic, 34% White, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What district is Highlands Middle School in?

Kennewick School District

How many students attend Highlands Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 745 students attended Highlands Middle School.

Is Highlands Middle School a good school?

Highlands Middle School ranks in the bottom 15.6% of Washington middle schools.

Rate Highlands Middle School!

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Latest Washington data All new data »

2016–17 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 8, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

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.