Three local high schools were among the nation’s best high schools as chosen by U.S. News & World Report.
T.R. Miller, W.S. Neal and Flomaton high schools were pegged, along 115 others in the state to earn the honor. The group joined some 6,500 nationally.
The 118 Alabama high schools were around 6,500 nationally to receive national honors.
However, Alabama schools could not be ranked based on college readiness because the state did not release Advanced Placement data to the publication. All 118 Alabama schools received bronze medals, meaning they fell somewhere between No. 2,527 and No. 6,517 in the nation, but schools might have ranked higher had college readiness data been made available.
TRM, with a 13-to-1 teacher ratio, scored 96 percent proficiency rating in math and 98 percent in reading.
Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Varner said the achievement is exciting.
“I believe it’s a testament to high expectations that are part of the culture of T.R. Miller, and also validation of the hard work our teachers and students put in to be successful,” Varner said. “Having now been recognized in this regard for several consecutive years, it’s clear that this is not an anomaly – T.R. Miller is definitely one of the best high schools in the state.”
In the Escambia County School System, W.S. Neal students were rated at 95 percent proficient in math and 89 percent proficient in reading, while FHS students scored 100 percent proficiency in math and 98 percent in reading.
Superintendent John Knott said he was proud of the county high schools and that he hopes to add others to the roster in the future.
“Both teachers and students at FHS and WSN worked extremely hard to achieve these scores,” Knott said. “They worked to focus on the data and making positive changes for students and preparing them for the future.
“We hope to be able to add Escambia County High School to that list in the future,” he said. “We’ve got a plan in place, and we’re ready to start back working on it.”