Highland Middle School
Highlands neighborhood resides campus · Grades 6–8
Fine Arts magnet · Explore Pathways · Home of the Scotties
- Grades: 6th–8th
- How to get in: Resides or magnet app
- School day: 8:40 a.m. start
An independent look at the Highlands middle school. Families often compare Highland with Barret Traditional, Noe, Western Middle School for the Arts, and their resides option.
1700 Norris Place · The Highlands · Louisville, Kentucky
Official starting points
- Highland's official JCPS page(opens in a new tab)
- JCPS student assignment(opens in a new tab)
- School Finder(opens in a new tab)
- Current Choices Guide(opens in a new tab)
- KDE School Report Card(opens in a new tab)
School Choice:(502) 485-6250schoolchoice@jefferson.kyschools.us
What this school is
Highland Middle sits at Norris Place and Richmond Drive in the Highlands. It is a JCPS resides middle school first. It also houses a Fine Arts magnet (chorus, general music, band, and orchestra) and Explore Pathways in Design & Engineering and Consumer Science. The school page says every student benefits from those programs, plus daily social-emotional learning through Soft Start and a campus garden.
This is not Noe and it is not Western. It is smaller than Noe (725 students in the 2025–26 data book, capacity 954). It is not a whole-school audition arts campus. The 2026–27 Middle School Choices Guide lists Highland as an Explore Pathways school with a Fine Arts magnet inside it.
The athletics site calls the school Home of the Scotties. The Choices Guide lists a long sports slate and clubs from BSU and the garden club to Quick Recall and Future Problem Solvers. Block scheduling is described as 90-minute core classes.
Who runs the building
Principal Vanessa Green
Vanessa Green became principal in March 2022. Assistant principals currently listed by JCPS include Christopher Herrick and Todd Gahafer. Amanda Vinova serves as Instructional Assistant Principal. Athletic director: Leslie Lintelman.
School details
- Address
- 1700 Norris Place, Louisville, KY 40205
- Phone
- (502) 485-8266
- Official JCPS site
- jefferson.kyschools.us/o/highland(opens in a new tab)
- Start: 8:40 a.m.
- Title I: yes
- Mascot: Scotties
How families get in
Most students attend because Highland is their resides school. Families who do not live in that zone apply for the Fine Arts magnet or Explore Pathways during the JCPS choice window. The Choices Guide does not list a Western-style required audition packet. Confirm extra forms on Highland's site before you apply.
- Resides families: start with School Finder. If Highland is already assigned, you do not apply unless you want a different campus.
- Magnet / pathway families: apply in the on-time window. For 2026–27 that was November 3–December 19, 2025, with notices in April 2026. The working 2027–28 window is November 2–December 18, 2026.
- Fine Arts magnet: chorus, music, band, and orchestra. The Choices Guide says ensembles earned KMEA Distinguished ratings three years in a row.
- Explore Pathways: Design & Engineering and Consumer Science. That is a career-interest track, not a whole-school theme like Western.
- A seat does not automatically include a bus. Complete Transportation Verification if you need a ride.
Who it tends to fit
A good match when
- The Highlands commute already works for your family.
- You want arts or Explore options without leaving a neighborhood campus.
- A mid-size building (about 700 students) sounds better than Noe's 1,100.
Think twice when
- You are choosing only on statewide test rankings.
- You want Noe's GT magnet or Western's audition arts model.
- You need guaranteed transportation and have not confirmed eligibility.
Students
Source: JCPS Individual School Data Book for Highland Middle, 2025–26, unless noted. Enrollment 725. Capacity 954. Full-time teachers 42. Magnet applications 98. Magnet / pathway enrollment 296. Gifted and talented identified: 133.
Diversity index
63%
Chance that two students picked at random come from different reported racial or ethnic groups, using 2025–26 data-book headcounts.
| Group | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White | 397 | 55% |
| Black / African American | 153 | 21% |
| Hispanic / Latino | 91 | 13% |
| Two or more races | 66 | 9% |
| Asian | 17 | 2% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 1 | <1% |
Gender: 376 girls (52%) · 349 boys (48%)
- Gifted and talented 133
- ECE 74
- 504 plans 74
- Multilingual learners 42
- Free lunch 378
- Reduced 22
- Paid 325
Academics
Use the Kentucky School Report Card first. Ranking sites disagree and lag.
- Highland's JCPS page: reading 32% proficient and 16% distinguished; math 27% proficient and 5% distinguished (about 48% reading PD and 32% math PD).
- A compiled 2024–25 KSA table shows about 38% reading PD and 26% math PD — close to the district middle-school average, below the state.
- U.S. News 2026 grouped Highland in the 227–303 band of Kentucky middle schools. SchoolDigger has placed it near the bottom third of the state list in recent years.
- This is a neighborhood campus with arts and Explore add-ons. It is not a top-statewide testing school. Ask how intervention and 90-minute blocks actually run.
Awards and recognition
KMEA Fine Arts
Choices Guide: Distinguished ratings three years running
Fine Arts magnet
Chorus, general music, band, and orchestra inside a resides campus
Explore Pathways
Design & Engineering and Consumer Science
Location
Highlands neighborhood campus with a garden and fields
Location and daily life
Norris Place is in the Highlands, not Old Louisville and not West Main. That is a short trip for nearby families and a longer one from the Southwest or far East End.
The school highlights Soft Start, a garden, and a full middle-school sports list including fencing and curling in some years. Confirm what is running this season with the athletic director.
Recent news, in context
May 16, 2024: WHAS11 and WDRB reported that staff found a knife and marijuana in a student's locker. While staff questioned the student, a gun fell from their clothing. LMPD and JCPS Police responded. The school briefly raised its security level. A canine sweep found no other weapons. The principal wrote that the gun was not displayed in a threatening manner. The student faced charges. JCPS said the campus did not then have weapons-detection equipment.
Other coverage in recent years includes a bus fight that sent a student to the hospital and a period of extra security after a threat. JCPS Insider found no published teacher-arrest story tied to this campus. That is a search result, not a background check.
Compare before you commit
- Barret Traditional Middle(opens the official JCPS page in a new tab)Traditional magnet. Structure first. Different Highlands-area option.
- Noe MiddleLarger. Districtwide GT magnet plus arts. Old Louisville.
- Western Middle School for the ArtsWhole-school arts magnet with a required audition.
- Your resides middle schoolStay put if Highland is not already assigned.
- Atherton High later(opens the official JCPS page in a new tab)A common Highlands high-school conversation. Not automatic.
Questions to ask on a tour
- 1.Is my child coming as resides, Fine Arts magnet, or Explore Pathways?
- 2.How do 90-minute blocks and Soft Start actually use the day?
- 3.What does the Fine Arts magnet look like if my child is not in band or orchestra?
- 4.How did the school handle the May 2024 weapons incident after the fact?
- 5.Does my address currently qualify for transportation to Norris Place?
- 6.Which clubs and sports have space this year?
What to do next
- 1.Run School Finder. Know whether Highland is already your resides school.
- 2.If you want Fine Arts or Explore, apply in the on-time JCPS window.
- 3.Tour the building and the garden. Size and tone are easier in person.
- 4.If offered a magnet seat, hit the deadline on the placement letter.
- 5.Call transportation before you assume the bus.