Original Research by School Decision on Highland Academy District
Highland Academy District is a single-school charter district in Riverside County serving a small enrollment across early elementary through eighth grade. The district itself is a relatively quiet entity—it consists only of Highland Academy, a public charter school operated independently in the Beaumont area.
The student body reflects the region's demographics. The enrollment skews toward Hispanic and white students in roughly equal-to-slightly-greater proportions, with smaller shares of students identifying as multiracial, Asian, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native. The district has recently expanded its grade offerings to include Transitional Kindergarten, giving families access to public charter education starting at age four, rather than kindergarten entry alone. For a parent weighing early-childhood options in Beaumont, this early admission point is a tangible choice factor.
The enrollment itself is small, with just over three hundred students spread unevenly across the grades. The upper-elementary and middle grades, from sixth through eighth, each draw larger cohorts than the primary grades, suggesting either historical growth into the middle school years or enrollment patterns specific to how the school recruits and retains families.
State assessment data was not available, so a parent cannot see standardized proficiency results for this district. Graduation rates also do not apply, since the district serves only through eighth grade and does not extend into high school. These absences are expected given the grade band.
What is measurable points to one strength and one constraint. Chronic absenteeism at Highland Academy runs below the county median, positioning the district above the midpoint among Riverside County's districts on attendance. That is a meaningful marker of student engagement and operational stability. By contrast, per-pupil spending sits in the lower range for county districts, which may reflect the modest enrollment size and the cost structure of operating a small independent school. A family should note this spending level alongside whatever programming, class sizes, or resource allocation the school itself describes, since budget floor does not always predict instructional quality, but it does set the context.
The district does not appear in published records as Title I-eligible, though data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not reported, so this status cannot be fully confirmed. Similarly, counts of English learners and students with individualized education plans were not available, leaving a parent without a full picture of the specific support systems the district offers in those areas. A parent considering Highland Academy may want to inquire directly about these student populations and the services the school provides.
Beyond these basics, little public information was found about curriculum, program emphasis, or strategic direction. The school's website or direct contact would be the clearer source for understanding its approach to instruction, whether it follows a particular educational model, and how it differs from nearby public-school options in Beaumont Unified.
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