Resources

Refine Search

State: Base: Miles from base:

Search by school name:

Address Lookup:
Miles from address:

Advanced Options

Home Search

Highlands Middle School

Jacksonville, FL 32218

Phone: (904) 696-8771
Fax: (904) 696-8782
District: Duval

School Review
GreatSchools Reviews
Nearby Neighborhoods
Nearby Areas
Nearby Bases

GreatSchools Rating

public • Grades 6,7,8 • 576 students

Highlands Middle School, a public school located in Jacksonville, FL, serves grades 6-8 in the Duval County Public Schools.It has received a GreatSchools Rating of 2 out of 10, based on a variety of school quality measures.

Highlands Middle School is a public school located in Jacksonville, FL. 576 students attend Highlands Middle School.

School Ratings

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	2/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Florida Assessment of Student Thinking data from Florida Department of Education, and using 2025 Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking data from Florida Department of Education.
Student Growth	2/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student growth data from Florida Department of Education.

Posted: November 3, 2025

If I could give this school zero stars I would. The kids are horrible and disrespectful towards teachers and openly discriminating and racist. Do NOT enroll tour child here

Posted: November 3, 2025

Posted: January 27, 2025

My students studied here for more than a year and up to now. So far I haven't heard any problems with him, he loves his school so far, with free meals. The teacher updates me with his performance, so I think this is a good middle school for him. There is a also a police officer roaming around which added to the security welfare of the kids.

Posted: September 26, 2024

I used to go to highlands I just left this year. THIS SCHOOL SUCKS teachers are okay but I learned almost nothing i was not challenged at all. They didnt do advanced class but spilt each grade into teams but it was clear one team had the less smart kids but they would throw in some smart kids into that team and vise versa. Meaning if you have a smart kid they wont learn, could be stuck with kids who arent even near your kids level. Lastly safety is terrible there there have been 2 shooter threats this year. There was a bomb threat last year however that could have been another shooter threat. As a bonus some kids here smoke and vape so do enroll if possible thank you for reading- disgusted past student

Posted: September 7, 2024

Highland Middle School has been a terrible experience for my child and me, and I strongly discourage anyone from enrolling their kids there. Despite being in advanced and accelerated classes since fifth grade, my daughter failed her language arts class last year. I transferred her to another school on the southside, and after reviewing her grades, they found no valid reason for her to have failed. Her end-of-year testing showed she achieved a level four and two level threes, which are above average. The new school immediately placed her in the eighth grade and planned to contact Highland Middle School to address the issue.

It seems clear that her language arts teacher failed her due to personal bias, and I intend to bring this up with the school board. To make matters worse, during her first week at Highland, a boy attacked her, and she had never been involved in a physical altercation before. The students there are out of controlbullies who dress and act like adults, wearing wigs, lashes, and bright-colored hair. Many of the boys resemble gang members. I highly advise parents to reconsider sending their children to this school.

Posted: September 7, 2024

Posted: August 23, 2024

I was a student at this Highlands JR. High School back then. It was bad then and it is still bad to this day. They haven't even tried to fix it. I know how bad this school is because all my nieces and nephews went there or are still attending. The school encourages the bullying. Racism towards white kids has run amuck. Please if you have a choice don't send your kids to school here. They will never be the same after attending here.

Posted: August 23, 2024

Posted: November 6, 2023

While the school is in an upward trend academically, student behavior is off the chain. Children are hitting adults and no amount of ISSP fixes that. If your child is mixed, the kids will never let them hear the end of it. We had amazing, committed ESE staff that tried their hardest with their enormous caseloads, and the guidance department was amazing while I was there, but none of that can change parents trying to fight administrators alongside their kids.

Posted: November 6, 2023

Posted: July 24, 2023

I just finished my third year of teaching at Highlands Middle. I can honestly say Highlands has improved over the three years and continues to head in the right direction.

Posted: July 24, 2023

Posted: June 21, 2023

It was hurtful to be there everyone was so mean and very discriminative towards me as a mixed child, they said since they were fully black they were better than me. Th e staff and teachers didn't care about me and said just do your work and watch the videos but that didn't help. I went to school in fear everyday because I knew everyone was going to be mean to me at some point today.

Posted: June 21, 2023

Posted: November 8, 2022

horrible school. too many bad teachers and horrible test scores. also, the students here are the rudest.

Posted: April 5, 2022

If I could give it no stars I would this school needs actual teachers and staff that actually know how to work with children in general I hate that theres a lot of discrimination towards Hispanics and every new student that arrives at this school tends to get bullied teachers have no respect towards your child and feel that it is okay to scream at your children and make them feel worthless I feel that every parent thats going through this not only writes directly to the superintendent but to also write to the mayor of duval county all of this needs to get fixed the proper way our children are our future and if we cant speak up for them then who will these children need education not discrimination or manipulation All Lives Matter and should all be treated equally

Posted: April 5, 2022

Posted: November 12, 2018

You hardly see any homework coming home.

Posted: November 12, 2018

I only get 2/7 teachers to communicate back by email!! The reason for this *No unstable teachers* Always substitutes! This is one reason why some kids can't learn in class. No Foundation!! how can you ask for help.

Posted: November 12, 2018

tooo much bullying! kids fight all the time over what? pizza?

Posted: November 12, 2018

I rate this school a 2 I hope there can be changes!!

Posted: November 27, 2017

My son has came home twice with scars from being bullied.

Posted: November 27, 2017

I do not like this school. They have a lot of improving to do.

Posted: February 20, 2014

We are new here to Jacksonville and this was the middle school for our two 7th grade girls. The students here are a handful, but the teachers and the PRINCIPAL MR. Simons are amazing. Its a shame that he is the most concerned and dedicated principle my husband and I have ever met but the students make it hard for good students like my children to learn. He can only do so much. He is one person handling every issue we have ever brought to his attention. The bullying and the language this students use is terrible. Our girls are having a ruff time this year for the first time in our life's.

Reviews provided by GreatSchools^™

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Eagles Hammock	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Jacksonville	FL	8 mi
2	Reed Island	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Jacksonville	FL	10.1 mi
3	Waterleaf	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Jacksonville	FL	12.9 mi
4	Kernan Forest	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Jacksonville	FL	13 mi
5	The Reserve at Wynnfield Lakes	Apartment Complex	Jacksonville	FL	14 mi
6	Eagle Harbor	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Jacksonville	FL	15.9 mi
7	Highland Glen	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Jacksonville	FL	16 mi
8	Wolf Creek Townhomes	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Jacksonville	FL	16.3 mi
9	Waterford at Orange Park	Apartment Complex	Orange Park	FL	17.4 mi
10	Sea Oats Apartments	Apartment Complex	Atlantic Beach	FL	17.4 mi
11	Isle de Mai	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fernandina Beach	FL	18.6 mi
12	Spencers Plantation	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Orange Park	FL	18.8 mi
13	Oakleaf Plantation	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Orange Park	FL	19.8 mi
14	Jacksonville Beaches	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Jacksonville Beach	FL	19.9 mi
15	Ocean View	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fernandina Beach	FL	21.4 mi
16	Eagle Landing	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Orange Park	FL	22 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	Riverside	Jacksonville	FL	8.1 mi
2	San Marco	Jacksonville	FL	9.1 mi
3	Avondale	Jacksonville	FL	9.4 mi
4	Sandalwood	Jacksonville	FL	14 mi
5	Atlantic Beach	Atlantic Beach	FL	18.2 mi
6	Orange Park	Orange Park	FL	18.5 mi
7	Jacksonville Beaches	Jacksonville Beach	FL	19.9 mi
8	Mandarin	Jacksonville	FL	20.3 mi
9	Fernandina Beach	Fernandina Beach	FL	20.8 mi

Base	Distance
Jacksonville NAS	14.6 mi.
Coast Guard Mayport	15.8 mi.
Mayport Naval Station	16.6 mi.
Cecil Field	18.9 mi.
Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base	26 mi.
Camp Blanding	36.5 mi.

Refine Search

State:

Base:

Miles from base:

Search by school name:

National Ad

Highlands Middle School

Jacksonville, FL 32218

School Ratings

Refine Search

National Ad

Email Address *

*We take your personal information very seriously and will never give it to a 3rd party. If you don't enjoy the email series, you can always unsubscribe at anytime.*

We take your personal information very seriously and will never give it to a 3rd party. If you don't enjoy the email series, you can always unsubscribe at anytime.