The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Highland Community Middle
Highland Community Middle serves sixth through eighth grade as a regular public school in the village of Highland, Wisconsin. It is a small school; the student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of Hispanic students and a handful of students identifying as two or more races. About two out of every five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a middle ground on economic need for a rural community. The school operates under the Highland School District, and there were no recent district-level changes publicly reported that would alter a family’s sense of stability here.
State assessment results give a mixed picture. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency hovers around half, with the strongest showing in seventh grade and somewhat lower rates in sixth and eighth. Mathematics results are more uneven: sixth and seventh grade post proficiency rates in the high three-tenths to low four-tenths range, while eighth grade math drops to a notably lower level. Science and social studies are tested only in eighth grade, and in both subjects roughly half of students met the state’s proficiency bar. Scores in the middle grades can fluctuate with small cohorts, and the school’s total enrollment is under sixty students, so a single grade’s result can shift meaningfully from year to year. A parent may want to discuss with the school how it supports students who are not yet at the proficient mark, especially in eighth grade math, where the gap is widest.
Compared to other districts in Iowa County, Highland Community Middle’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits in the bottom quartile. That is a soft spot in the academic profile. The county contains only a handful of districts, and the school’s placement there is a signal worth noting. It does not mean the school lacks strengths; the ELA numbers show that many students are meeting state expectations, and full participation in testing suggests the data is complete.
Because this is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to report, and the data does not include chronic absenteeism rates, rates of students with IEPs, or English learner counts. Those gaps mean a family cannot draw a complete picture of student support structures from this data alone. The school environment section returned no information on discipline, staffing, or course access, so those elements remain uncharacterized here.
Highland itself is a small rural village in Iowa County with a mix of residential, commercial, and light industrial character. The largest employment sectors are retail trade, manufacturing, and health care. The village recently expanded its industrial park with land available for business and residential lots, and the population has seen growth. Homeownership is common, and housing values are moderate relative to state and national benchmarks. The community has active civic organizations, a volunteer fire department, a rescue squad, and several churches. Village Park provides green space and recreation, and Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area is nearby for camping, fishing, and hiking. The school is described as integrated into the village, providing both education and sports programming.
For a family considering this school, the relevant context is a small, rural setting with a largely white student body, moderate economic diversity, and academic results that are below the county average overall but with some bright spots in ELA. The small size means each child may receive more individualized attention, but it also means fewer students per grade can make year-to-year comparisons less stable. The village is growing modestly and has basic amenities, though commuting to larger towns is typical. A parent evaluating options here would benefit from asking the school directly about academic supports, enrichment opportunities, and how it addresses the lower mathematics performance, especially in eighth grade.
See more original research from School Decision →