Lakeside, Centerpoint get silver medals in school rankings

Lakeside High School and Centerpoint High School received silver medal ratings this week as they were once again ranked among the state’s top 20 high schools in the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report.

U.S. News evaluated almost

28,500 public high schools in all

50 states and the District of Columbia. The national rankings include 500 public high schools with gold medals, 2,109 received silver medals and 3,432 received bronze.

Lakeside garnered the highest ranking in the area at No. 12 in Arkansas and No. 1,657 in the national rankings. Principal Darin Landry noted the rankings place Lakeside in the top 8 percent in the nation.

“I am so proud of our students, faculty and staff for all of their time and hard work they put into our school,” Landry

said. “I also would like to thank our community and parents for their continued support. Lakeside is dedicated to academic success and getting our students ready for the future. We continue to institute new programs of study which enable our students to take advantage of their interests and get a jump on their future.”

Lakeside was ranked fifth in the state in 2016 and fourth in 2015.

“Lakeside High School has a culture cultivated in academic success and the silver medal ranking from U.S. News reflects the dedication of our faculty and staff and the high expectations we have for our students,” said Lakeside Superintendent Shawn Cook.

“These high expectations extend to all of our students, not only those who are enrolled in our AP courses. We are also proud of our recent report from the state naming Lakeside High School as one of the top schools in Arkansas with the lowest grade inflation rate.”

Centerpoint was once again ranked among the state’s top 20 at No. 17 and No. 1,981 nationally. The school was ranked in the top 15 in 2016 and No. 8 in 2015.

“To be recognized by this publication is a great honor,” said Centerpoint High School Principal Nic Mounts. “To be recognized by them three years in a row is even better. It shows that what we’re doing is working and it has been working for quite a while now.”

The rankings are based on a combination of test scores, graduation rates, Advanced Placement course participation, and how students perform when compared to their peers from other schools. They are meant to reflect schools whose students are prepared to succeed in college as determined by a cumulative College Readiness Index.

“Most of our students take their jobs very seriously,” Mounts said. “They want to do right and they want to learn, as evidenced by the honors they continue to receive. They make my job very easy most days.

“I want every kid who leaves Centerpoint High School to know two things: first, that they were loved and, second, that they were given every chance in the world to be successful. The silver medals are just icing on the cake.”

Mounts said students play a significant role in the school’s ranking, but he primarily attributed the school’s success to its teachers.

“Our teachers are amazing,” Mounts said. “They work hard every day to give these students what they need and I don’t just mean in the classroom.

“They come to their ballgames, their concerts, and award ceremonies. They give them money and food when a student is in need, and they care for them like they are their own. Centerpoint is truly a unique place because of their devotion to our students.”

U.S. News lists Arkansas with 244 districts,

280 high schools, 11,094 full-time teachers and

142,234 students. The state saw 82 schools included in the rankings, down from 95 a year ago when 28 schools earned silver medals and 66 earned bronze.

Bismarck High School received a bronze medal and ranked No. 31 in the state. The school received a silver medal with a No. 27 ranking in

2016 and a bronze medal in 2015.

Mount Ida High School received a bronze medal for the third straight year, but was not included in the state’s numerical rankings, which stopped at 63 schools.

BASIS Scottsdale, a charter school in Arizona, was ranked as the No. 1 public high school in the U.S. for the first time. The School for the Talented and Gifted, a magnet school in Dallas earned the top high school in 2016 and was ranked No. 4 in this year’s rankings.

Haas Hall Academy, a charter school in Fayetteville, once again received the only gold medal in Arkansas and ranked No. 60 in the national rankings. Another 25 high schools in the state received silver medals and 56 received bronze.