The reported proficiency rate for Social studies is 14%.
Original Research by School Decision on Highlands High
Highlands High is a regular public high school in Twin Rivers Unified, located in North Highlands, an unincorporated, working-class suburban community about twelve miles northeast of Sacramento. The school serves grades nine through twelve and enrolls a population that is economically challenged and racially diverse. More than half the enrollment identifies as Hispanic, with substantial numbers of Black, white, and Asian students; a large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the community's economic profile. Housing in the 95660 zip code is valued well below the state average, and monthly rents are modest, making the area one of the more affordable parts of the region, though recent housing development is accelerating along the Watt Avenue corridor with new multifamily projects and transit-oriented development underway.
Academically, Highlands High's current performance on California's state assessments shows proficiency rates that are well below the median among districts in Sacramento County. In English language arts, roughly one in three students scored at proficient level or above, while in mathematics, only one in five students met that benchmark. Science proficiency was even lower. These numbers place the school in the bottom quartile of county schools on overall proficiency. The school has one year of recent reported data, so trend information is not available; a parent may want to look into further detail with the school about efforts to strengthen academic outcomes, especially in mathematics and science.
The school offers a breadth of athletics, fielding teams in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, wrestling, golf, and cross country, plus cheerleading. Student Council is listed as a club activity; for fuller information on clubs and activities a parent would want to check the school website directly.
North Highlands itself is a stable suburban setting with a car-oriented layout centered on arterial corridors, particularly Watt Avenue. Parks and recreation are managed by the North Highlands Recreation & Park District, and transit access includes the Blue Line light rail with stations at Watt/I-80 and Watt/I-80 West, plus multiple Sacramento Regional Transit bus routes. The broader area is anchored by McClellan Park, the redeveloped former air force base that houses a business park, industrial tenants, and an airport. The community has no walkable downtown center, though county planning is advancing the North Watt Avenue Specific Plan to increase mixed-use and residential development along that corridor over the next several years.
Twin Rivers Unified has undergone significant recent change. In November 2022, voters approved two facilities bond measures authorizing substantial borrowing for school modernization, as the district's buildings average many decades in age and the district had not funded major renovation in over a decade. Those bonds add a new property tax on homeowners to repay the debt. More recently, in March 2026, Twin Rivers teachers held the district's first-ever strike, lasting nearly two weeks, disrupting classroom instruction for nearly that duration. The settlement included salary increases and expanded health benefits, addressing what the union identified as a staffing and retention crisis. Families considering the district should be aware of both the new bond-funded property tax and the staffing dynamics that prompted the strike, as these factors shape the district's near-term financial and operational context.
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