Highlands Middle School

Highlands Middle School, a moderately sized 6-8 campus in KENNEWICK, Washington, one of the schools within Kennewick School District, hosts 745 students, covering grades 6 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 29% larger than the state mean of about 577.

Highlands Middle School is one of 31 schools operated by Kennewick School District, a district that instructs 18,826 students overall.

Demographically, Highlands Middle School records that 60% of the student body identifies as Hispanic. The remainder comes out to 34% White, 4% multiracial. By comparison, Benton County as a whole is about 26% Hispanic, so the school skews noticeably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Highlands Middle School has 42 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 17.6:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 18.9:1 average. Around 77% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Benton County runs at roughly 49%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

Around the school, community-level numbers for Benton County indicate median household earnings sit near $89,874, roughly 33% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. Highlands Middle School is one of 69 public schools in Benton County (combined enrollment of about 38,191 students).

Nearest neighbor: Endeavor High School, around 0.5 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The campus sits in a city-core setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 8%: 812 students in 2018 compared to 745 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 51% to 60% across the same window. Class-load math has pulled in: from 19.0:1 in 2018 to 17.6:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the feed for Highlands Middle School typically covers sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.