Highland Middle School

Set in Highland, Illinois, Highland Middle School is a middle-of-the-pack intermediate school, run under Highland CUSD 5. It hosts 616 students across grades 6 through 8. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 462 students each, so Highland Middle School sits 33% above that benchmark.

Highland CUSD 5 runs 6 schools in total, collectively educating 2,730 students. Highland Middle School is one of those campuses.

On demographics, Highland Middle School lists that nearly all students (94%) are White. Other groups include 3% multiracial. That is considerably more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 83%.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Highland Middle School has 44 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.0:1, putting Highland Middle School higher than the state norm the norm. Around 30% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Madison County (around 46%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

After controlling for student poverty, Highland Middle School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 54.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 54.6%.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Madison County indicate the typical household earns roughly $75,793 per year, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. In all, Madison County runs 84 public schools (combined enrollment of about 35,253 students), of which Highland Middle School is one.

The closest other public school is Highland High School, roughly 0.2 miles away. 4 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Highland Middle School ranks 5th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 61.8%.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Highland Middle School has decreased 3%, going from 638 students in 2018 to 616 in 2025. Class-load math has fell: from 16.1:1 in 2018 to 13.9:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.