Original Research by School Decision on Highland High
Highland High is a regular public high school in Bakersfield serving grades nine through twelve. The school sits in the Kern High School District, which covers Bakersfield and surrounding communities in Kern County.
The student body at Highland is predominantly Hispanic, with a large share of students from low-income households. Most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment holds steady across all four grades, making this a school of consistent size within its grade band.
The most recent state assessment data available shows Highland's performance across three tested subjects. In English language arts, the school's proficiency rate sits at just above the midpoint. In mathematics, proficiency is substantially lower, with only a small fraction of students meeting state standards. Science proficiency falls in between, at roughly a quarter of students. These results reflect a pattern where reading comprehension and writing outpace quantitative reasoning. A parent may want to look into the school's math supports and any available tutoring or intervention pathways, as the gap between ELA and math performance is notable.
Graduation rate data was not available in the records reviewed. State testing data covers only the most recent year, so trend information showing whether performance has moved over time is not present. The school's website did not appear in the search materials, so details about course offerings, clubs, programs, and academic pathways remain limited. The data confirms that music is offered, but the full scope of electives, AP courses, career and dual-credit options, or arts programming beyond that was not accessible.
Highland is located in Bakersfield, a mid-sized city in the southern Central Valley that is among California's fastest-growing large cities. The area mixes commercial and residential neighborhoods spread across a flat grid. The city's economy rests on agriculture, energy, and healthcare, and it holds a relatively affordable cost of living for California, though housing values have remained stable in recent quarters. The community is culturally diverse and family-oriented. Downtown contains theaters, museums, and historic landmarks, while the city's many neighborhoods range from upscale subdivisions to older historic districts. The city is car-dependent overall, though downtown near the central business district is walkable, and a long riverside park system along the Kern River provides recreational trails and cycling paths.
Kern High School District has adopted a semester-long ethnic studies course as part of preparation for California's graduation mandate requiring all high school students in the graduating class of 2030 and beyond to complete ethnic studies. The district piloted this course during the 2024-2025 school year, with full rollout ahead. This is a lasting curriculum change that will shape every student's graduation requirements and course planning, and it has generated local discussion in the community.
For families considering Highland, the key questions to ask directly with the school would be the graduation rate, the range of academic supports available in math, the full menu of elective and AP courses, whether there are career or dual-enrollment pathways with local community colleges, and how the ethnic studies requirement fits into the typical four-year schedule.
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