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The town of Highlands, North Carolina, in Macon County 03Photo: Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0
B
Schools in Highlands · Macon County Schools

Highlands’s public schools outscore 62% of North Carolina districts

The grade covers the public school district serving Highlands, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within North Carolina, not nationally.

K–12Where will my kid go?

From North Carolina state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
51%
▲ 1 pts vs NC 50%
2021–22
Math proficiency
50%
▼ 1 pts vs NC 51%
2021–22
Graduate on time
93%
▲ 6 pts vs NC 86%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$13.3K
▲ 2% vs NC $13.0K
FY2024
Students per teacher
15.1
NC 16.0 · smaller classes
Schools in town
1
344 students on the public path
In brief

Highlands’s schools, in brief

Better than its incomes would predict

Among the 311 North Carolina towns with household incomes within a quarter of Highlands’s, its schools beat 71%, higher than their 62% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Above the state in reading, below in math

Reading proficiency is 51% and math 50% in spring 2022, against 50% and 51% statewide; 93% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 86%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $13,324 per student, against $13,045 across North Carolina (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Highlands’s grade

B− Test scoresA Graduation

B: better than 62% of North Carolina school districts. Test scores and graduation are both above the North Carolina average; graduation is the stronger of the two.

North Carolina school districts we grade (325)Better than 62%
Lower resultsHigher results
North Carolina towns with similar household incomes (311)Better than 71%
BB+A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 2,210 test results and a graduating class of 351 could put Highlands anywhere from B to B+. The tests are from spring 2022, when 100% of Highlands’s students in the tested grades sat them (2,111 in math, 2,308 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Highlands, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
K–12Highlands SchoolMacon County SchoolsA−

Highlands’s public schools are run by Macon County Schools, which also serves Franklin. Parts of Highlands (9% of its land) are served by Jackson County Schools instead. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Macon County SchoolsGrades PK–12 · 12 schools · 4,469 students, up 3% since 2020–21 · 15.1 per teacher (NC 16.0)
$13,324NC $13,045 · FY2024
B
Test scores · 2021–22

Close to the state in reading

Reading51%
State average 49.9% · 2308 students tested
Math50%
State average 50.8% · 2111 students tested

Highlands vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the North Carolina towns that share Highlands’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
HighlandsBMacon County Schools

Every school in Highlands

1 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with North Carolina’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Highlandsby address
Highlands School
Grades K–12
A−
344 students13:1Rate it →

Questions about Highlands’s schools

Are Highlands’s schools good?

They sit near the middle of North Carolina: the public schools Highlands children attend outscore 62% of North Carolina’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 71%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Highlands in?

Macon County Schools, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 4,469 students in 12 schools (2024–25). Small parts of Highlands are served by Jackson County Schools.

What is Highlands’s graduation rate?

93% of the class of 2023 in Macon County Schools graduated in four years, against 86% across North Carolina.

How much does Highlands spend per student?

$13,324 in Macon County Schools (FY2024), against $13,045 across North Carolina. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Highlands families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Highlands → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within North Carolina. Stars are from neighbors.