Enrollment
685
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jacksonville, FL
Highlands Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Highlands Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120048000765
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highlands Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Florida schools.
- #12 of 24
- middle schools in Jacksonville · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.1:1
- large classes for Florida
- 72.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Highlands Middle School has class sizes larger than 85% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Middle School ranks #12 of 24 middle schools in Jacksonville, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highlands Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highlands Middle School
Highlands Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Jacksonville, Florida, enrolling 685 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 685 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 909 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #304.
Its student body is led by African American (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 343 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 444 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 685 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Duval also operates Atlantic Coast High School (2,887 students) and Sandalwood High School (2,627 students) alongside Highlands Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Highlands Middle School compares
Highlands Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.1:1 | ▲ 24% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.6% | ▲ 40% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 685 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
685
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 85% in Florida - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
28.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,696
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 343 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
232
in-school suspensions + 212 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 33.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 64.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 75.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
White 9.2%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 75.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.0, Highlands Middle School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Duval, which includes Highlands Middle School.
$10,696
Per student
-4%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.9%
State 39.3%
Federal 19.8%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Highlands Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Coast High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sandalwood High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mandarin High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Duncan U. Fletcher High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| First Coast High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highlands Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,887
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,627
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,343
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 2,184
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 2,098
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~685 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highlands Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Highlands Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Duval's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Highlands Middle School
How many students attend Highlands Middle School?
Highlands Middle School has 685 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jacksonville, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands Middle School is 22.1:1, which is 24% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highlands Middle School?
72.6% of students at Highlands Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highlands Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Highlands Middle School is African American at 75.5% of enrollment, in Jacksonville, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highlands Middle School?
Highlands Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Highlands Middle School rank among middle schools in Jacksonville?
By Resource Investment Index, Highlands Middle School ranks #12 of 24 middle schools in Jacksonville, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Jacksonville on the city page.
Is Highlands Middle School a good school?
Highlands Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Florida schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Duval?
Besides Highlands Middle School, Duval also operates Atlantic Coast High School (2,887 students), Sandalwood High School (2,627 students), and Mandarin High School (2,343 students). See the Duval district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.