Highland Community Middle

As a tiny junior high in Highland, Wisconsin, Highland Community Middle works with 58 students from grades 6 through 8, run under Highland School District. That puts it 85% leaner than the typical public school in Wisconsin, which averages around 381 students.

Across the 3 schools in Highland School District (276 students total), Highland Community Middle accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Highland Community Middle logs that nearly all students (83%) are White. The remainder is composed of 12% Hispanic, 5% multiracial. By comparison, Iowa County as a whole is about 93% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Highland Community Middle has 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.6:1. The state averages about 12.8:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 45% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Iowa County (around 30%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Highland Community Middle sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 50.1%; this one delivers 46.8%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Iowa County put median household earnings sit near $82,182, roughly 28% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 3%. Highland Community Middle is one of 15 public schools in Iowa County (combined enrollment of about 3,373 students).

The closest other public school is Highland Community Elementary, roughly 0.0 miles away. 2 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Highland Community Middle at 8th of 8; the average score across the group is 56.6%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 23%: 75 students in 2018 compared to 58 in 2025. The White share of enrollment edged down from 93% to 83% over that span. Class-load math has fell: from 13.7:1 in 2018 to 12.6:1 in 2025.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.