Original Research by School Decision on Highlands High School
Highlands High School sits in Fort Thomas, a primarily residential suburb of Cincinnati that is known for its historic homes, mature tree-lined streets, and bluff-top views of the Ohio River. The city describes itself as having a “sparse suburban” feel, with a commercial corridor along North Fort Thomas Avenue that supports local coffee shops, restaurants, and small businesses rather than big-box retail. Fort Thomas has a notably stable, established character; population figures have fluctuated modestly over recent decades, and residents have publicly described the community as resistant to large-scale development. Median home values in the area are well above the Kentucky average, and most households are owner-occupied. The city’s daytime population declines by a notable share due to commuting, indicating that many residents work in Cincinnati or other parts of Northern Kentucky.
Highlands High School serves all of the city’s high school students, with no other public high school inside Fort Thomas. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and is part of the Fort Thomas Independent school district, a small district that also includes three elementary schools and one middle school. The high school’s enrollment places it on the larger side for the area, serving grades nine through twelve. The student body is overwhelmingly white by background, with a small share of Hispanic students and even smaller shares of students who are Asian, Black, or identify with two or more races. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, which means a picture of the school’s economic diversity is not complete from the data provided. Data was also missing on special education enrollment and English learner enrollment.
State testing data for Highlands High School was not available in the information provided, so there is no direct measure of academic proficiency to report here. The same applies to a four-year graduation rate. Because the comparison set that matches schools within Campbell County relies on these same metrics, Highlands could not be placed relative to its neighbor districts on academic performance, graduation, or chronic absenteeism. A parent looking for test results or graduation outcomes will want to seek that information directly from the Kentucky Department of Education or the school’s own reporting.
Despite the missing assessment data, there are concrete signs of district investment. The most recent large-scale change in the district was the complete rebuilding of Johnson Elementary, which reopened in the 2021-2022 school year. That is a tangible infrastructure improvement, though it affects the elementary level rather than the high school directly.
The housing context for families moving into the district is meaningful. Home values in the Fort Thomas ZIP code are above both the Kentucky median and the national median, and rents have also edged upward. The estimated monthly mortgage payment, based on prevailing rates, is higher than the typical rent in the area, which tilts the cost calculus toward renting for some households. The broader economic picture is stable: unemployment is low by historical standards, and median household income nationally has been trending up, which aligns with an area that is already relatively affluent.
Civic life in Fort Thomas is anchored by Tower Park, with its amphitheatre, athletic complex, and historic stone water tower, along with the repurposed Armory and Mess Hall from the former military post. The Fort Thomas Farmers Market, the library branch, and city-wide events provide community gathering points that are separate from the school campus. Schools are distributed across the city rather than clustered, so the high school is on its own site separate from the downtown commercial stretch.
What this adds up to is a high school that sits in a well-established, relatively affluent suburb with a stable population, limited new development, and a housing market that is expensive compared to the state median. The school serves a student body that is not economically diverse by the available measures, though the exact share of low-income students is not known. Its academic performance and graduation outcomes simply are not present in the data on hand, so a parent or resident cannot assess those from this report. The district has recently invested in elementary facilities, which suggests a broader commitment to its buildings. For a family, the choice to enroll here is shaped less by the school’s measured academic profile and more by the community context: an older, leafy suburb where housing costs are high, commercial life is small-scale, and the schools are the sole public high school option in town.
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