Highlands County Schools & Education
Highlands County, Florida
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
13/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
83.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
83.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 89.8%
Per-Pupil Spending
$5,721
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,118
School Score
13/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 36/100
State Score Position
#66
of 67 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Highlands County
Measured School Summary
Highlands County faces educational challenges with a school score of 13/100 and a graduation rate of 83.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $5,721 per pupil, Highlands County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 64% below the Florida average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 6.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 6% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Highlands County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
24 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
13/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #66 of 67 Florida counties with school score data.
Completion
83.0%
6.8 pts below the state average
Funding context
$5,721
$397 below the state average
School coverage
24
1 district represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Highlands County has 24 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Highlands County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Dominant-district county
HIGHLANDS carries most of the listed public-school system, with 24 of 24 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#66
of 67 Florida counties with school score data. The county score is 23 points below the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
HIGHLANDS
Elementary to high school visible
12,362 students
24 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
HIGHLANDS is the largest listed district slice, with 24 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Highlands County?
Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Education Overview
About Schools in Highlands County, Florida
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
Diverse School Levels in the Heartland
Highlands County features 24 public schools serving a total enrollment of 12,362 students. The district includes nine elementary schools, four middle schools, and six high schools, providing a balanced infrastructure across different age groups. These schools are distributed across the county's distinct urban, suburban, and rural locales.
Unified District Management in Highlands
The Highlands School District manages all 24 campuses in the county with no charter schools currently available to residents. Sebring High School stands as the largest academic hub, enrolling 1,809 students and acting as a primary community landmark. Other significant schools include Avon Park High and Lake Placid High, which anchor their respective regional areas.
A Mix of Settings and Moderate Sizes
The county offers a diverse geographic mix of school settings, including nine rural, seven city, and five suburban locations. With an average school size of 562 students, the campuses feel more personal than in Florida’s larger metropolitan counties. Families can choose between larger city-based schools like Woodlawn Elementary or smaller rural options across the county.
School Overview
Total Schools
24
in Highlands County
Reported Enrollment
12,362
24 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Highlands County
24 Public Schools in Highlands County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 24 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEBRING HIGH SCHOOL | Profile | HIGHLANDS | SEBRING, 33870Suburb: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,809 |
| AVON PARK HIGH SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | AVON PARK, 33825City: Small | 9–12 | High | 928 |
| LAKE PLACID HIGH SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | LAKE PLACID, 33852Town: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 868 |
| SEBRING MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | SEBRING, 33870City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 815 |
| WOODLAWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | SEBRING, 33870City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 794 |
| HILL-GUSTAT MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | SEBRING, 33872Suburb: Small | 6–10 | Middle | 705 |
| CRACKER TRAIL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | SEBRING, 33875Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 692 |
| LAKE COUNTRY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | LAKE PLACID, 33852Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 685 |
| AVON PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | AVON PARK, 33825City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 638 |
| LAKE PLACID MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | LAKE PLACID, 33852Town: Fringe | 6–9 | Middle | 621 |
| SUN 'N LAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | SEBRING, 33872Suburb: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 618 |
| LAKE PLACID ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | LAKE PLACID, 33852Town: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 594 |
| FRED WILD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | SEBRING, 33870Suburb: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 563 |
| MEMORIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | AVON PARK, 33825Rural: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 532 |
| PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | AVON PARK, 33825City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 527 |
| AVON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | AVON PARK, 33825City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 523 |
| SEBRING PRE-K CENTER | Record | HIGHLANDS | SEBRING, 33870City: Small | PK | Other | 178 |
| HIGHLANDS VIRTUAL SCHOOL | Record | HIGHLANDS | SEBRING, 33870Rural: Fringe | KG–12 | Virtual | 168 |
| THE ACADEMY AT YOUTH CARE LANE | Record | HIGHLANDS | SEBRING, 33870Suburb: Small | 4–12 | Alternative | 60 |
| HIGHLANDS COUNTY HOSPITAL/HOMEBOUND PROGRAM | Record | HIGHLANDS | SEBRING, 33870Rural: Fringe | PK–12 | Special Education | 28 |
SEBRING HIGH SCHOOL
HIGHLANDS
SEBRING, 33870 / Suburb: Small
LAKE COUNTRY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HIGHLANDS
LAKE PLACID, 33852 / Rural: Fringe
LAKE PLACID ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HIGHLANDS
LAKE PLACID, 33852 / Town: Fringe
THE ACADEMY AT YOUTH CARE LANE
HIGHLANDS
SEBRING, 33870 / Suburb: Small
HIGHLANDS COUNTY HOSPITAL/HOMEBOUND PROGRAM
HIGHLANDS
SEBRING, 33870 / Rural: Fringe
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$5,721
State avg $6,118
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Highlands County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Florida counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Florida?
How should I read the school score in Highlands County?
What is the graduation rate in Highlands County?
How much does Highlands County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Highlands County, Florida — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Highlands County, Florida?
Highlands County features 24 public schools serving a total enrollment of 12,362 students. The district includes nine elementary schools, four middle schools, and six high schools, providing a balanced infrastructure across different age groups. These schools are distributed across the county's distinct urban, suburban, and rural locales.
What are the major school districts in Highlands County, Florida?
The Highlands School District manages all 24 campuses in the county with no charter schools currently available to residents. Sebring High School stands as the largest academic hub, enrolling 1,809 students and acting as a primary community landmark. Other significant schools include Avon Park High and Lake Placid High, which anchor their respective regional areas.
What is the school experience like in Highlands County?
The county offers a diverse geographic mix of school settings, including nine rural, seven city, and five suburban locations. With an average school size of 562 students, the campuses feel more personal than in Florida’s larger metropolitan counties. Families can choose between larger city-based schools like Woodlawn Elementary or smaller rural options across the county.
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.