Total enrollment
12,040
+230 (+2%) vs SY 2020-21
24 schools in HIGHLANDS
Florida · 12,040 students · 3 cities
24 public K-12 schools, 12,040 students, one district. That is the HIGHLANDS entry on the numbers, with a mix of 11 elementary, 4 middle, and 7 high.
4-year change in HIGHLANDS
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
22
+1 (+5%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How HIGHLANDS ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In Florida | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 52.8% | #40 of 63 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 12,040 | #38 of 70 | #734 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 22 | #34 of 70 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 18.5:1 | #49 of 70 | #7,926 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 62.6% | #11 of 70 | #2,584 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.3% | #16 of 68 | #705 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside HIGHLANDS
State test results across the district's 16 scored schools run from PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL at 68.7% proficient to AVON PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL at 42.9%, a gap of 25.8 points. That is the 46th widest gap among 62 Florida districts with four or more scored schools.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
About HIGHLANDS
HIGHLANDS is a small Florida school district running 24 schools with combined enrollment near 12,040.
On the level-by-level breakdown, HIGHLANDS is built around 11 elementary, 4 middle, 7 high schools, and 2 combined or other.
Average enrollment per school in HIGHLANDS is about 502, noticeably below the Florida average of roughly 705.
Looking at the last 4 years. Total public-school enrollment in HIGHLANDS has held roughly steady since SY 2020-21, moving from about 11,810 students to 12,040. The school count climbed from 21 to 22 across the same 4-year window.
In the discussion threads here, the community for HIGHLANDS discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.