If you’re looking to relocate, whether it’s for work or personal reasons, you will most likely do a lot of research into the area you’re planning to move to. You should look at factors such as crime rates, tax rates, and cost of living. But if you have school-aged children, you should also check into how the schools rate. This is particularly important at the high school level, as your child will be preparing for college and his future during those years.
The best high school will be one that is not only ranked high in educational areas such as test scores and graduation rates, but also one that offers options specifically for your child. Whether he needs a school with a great music or foreign language program, or one where he can play sports to try to earn a scholarship, options that a school offers beyond the “four R’s” should be considered. But your choices may be limited by the area that you move to. This is especially true in a state like Kentucky, where many of the 120 counties have only one public high school. The most populated county, Jefferson (Louisville), has 22 public high schools.
One tool you can use to find the best high schools in Kentucky is the US News and World Report listing. In this list, schools are assigned a gold, silver, or bronze medal ranking based on several criteria. These criteria include the school’s performance on the College Readiness Index and whether or not the school offers Advanced Program (AP) classes.
Of the 22 public high schools in Louisville, Kentucky, three are featured on the US News and World Report listing of the best high schools in Kentucky. DuPont Manual High School and Male High School both received a silver medal ranking, and Central High School received a bronze medal ranking.
Some of the other most highly populated counties in Kentucky also boast high schools on this report. Beechwood High School in Fort Mitchell (Kenton County), Highlands High School in Fort Thomas (Campbell County) and Bowling Green High School in Bowling Green (Warren County) earned silver medal rankings. Bronze medal rankings were given to Owensboro High School in Owensboro (Daviess County) and Walton-Verona High School in Walton (Boone County).
However, some of the least populated counties in Kentucky also made the list of the best high schools in the state. Hickman County, Kentucky had a population of only 5262 people as of the 2000 census. But Hickman County High School, in Clinton, received a bronze ranking on the report.
There are a total of 33 Kentucky schools listed on the report. There are two other silver medal ranked schools not previously mentioned. These are North Oldham High School in Goshen and South Oldham High School in Crestwood. Both are located in Oldham County. The rest of the schools on the report received a bronze medal ranking.
If you remember that the best high school in Kentucky will vary for everyone depending on their child’s needs, the US News and World Report listing is a good place to start your search. Weigh the pros and cons of several schools to find the best fit for you and your child to ensure he has a high school experience that will be both rewarding and enjoyable.
