Highlands Middle School is the Pride of the Northside. We are a Title I school operating on the north side of Jacksonville in Duval County. Title I is the largest federal aid to education program, and it has been in existence since 1965. It continues to level the academic playing field for children regardless of socioeconomic status. The purpose of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards. We serve a total of 689 students in grades 6-8, comprised of 100% economically disadvantaged, 92% minority, 7% English language learners, and 18% are students with disabilities. Over the last decade, our school grade has ranged from an “F” to a “D” to its current grade of “C” for the last three school years. We have put in a lot of work to improve the school grade and are still working to achieve better for our students. Each year, we are that much closer to a “B.”