The brief
A Macon County Schools school where students score 10 points below what's typical for similar communities.
It ranks 1,689 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina and 8 of 12 in Macon County Schools.
Highlands School is listed in Macon County Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.
- 202659%
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026
Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.
Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Full Profile · 4/4 metrics
Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 60% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).
- School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
- NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
- Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
- MySchoolScout rating and rank
- MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
- Math proficiency
- State department of education · 2026 NC · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Reading/ELA proficiency
- State department of education · 2026 NC · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Student progress (growth)
- State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
- Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
- U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
- Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
- Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 28741; this does not measure the attendance area.
- Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
- CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.
Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.The area
- Median income
- $68,874
- Median home value
- $596,100
- Median rent
- $862/mo
- College educated
- 48.4%
- Homeownership
- 73.1%
- Poverty rate
- 8.2%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28741; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 52
- Somewhat Walkable
- Bike Score
- 16
- Somewhat Bikeable
Walk, transit and bike scores by
Programs and who goes here
What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.Programs
- AP and IB
- 1 AP course
- 3.4% participation · state average 3 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
- Athletics
- 14 sports
- 7 boys' · 7 girls' · 13 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
- Advanced STEM courses
- 3 of 5
- Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
- Gifted and talented
- Available
- A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Who goes here
- Free or reduced lunch
- 43.6%
- Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Highlands School serve?
Highlands School serves students in grades Kindergarten through 12th.
How many students attend Highlands School?
Highlands School has an enrollment of approximately 319 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highlands School is 9.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Highlands School rank in NC?
Highlands School ranks #1,689 of 2,660 schools in NC.
What is Highlands School's MySchoolScout rating?
Highlands School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.9 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.
What are the test scores at Highlands School?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Highlands School has 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 60% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).
Is Highlands School a charter school?
No, Highlands School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is Highlands School a Title I school?
No, Highlands School is not currently a Title I school.
What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Highlands School?
43.6% of students at Highlands School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.
School facts
- Grades
- Kindergarten – 12th
- Enrollment
- 319
- Student-teacher ratio
- 9.4:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 34
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Remote Rural
- County
- Macon County
- Phone
- (828) 526-2147
- 4-year graduation
- 90%+
- Class of 2023
- Rank in district
- #8 of 12
- Schools in district
- 12
- District spending per student
- $13,238
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 17.8%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
- Area population (ZIP 28741)
- 4,266
- Area median age
- 61.8
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Sources and official links
Keep exploring
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, North Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.