For the fifth year in a row, Hollister High School has been ranked as a “Best High School” by U.S. News & World Report, which identifies the country’s top-performing public high schools and measures how well schools serve students from various social and economic backgrounds, says a press release from San Benito High School District.
HHS is ranked in the top 40% of schools nationally (3,901 out of 17,680 schools), improving its ranking from 4,015 out of 17,843 schools last year. Hollister High is also ranked 35th among San Jose metro area high schools—four spots higher than last year—and is 578th out of 2,613 ranked schools in the state, compared to 601st out of 1,603 schools last year.
Schools are ranked by U.S. News based on their performance on state-required tests, graduation rates and how well they prepare students for college, says the press release. In its announcement of the Best High Schools, the publication noted, “A great high school educates all students from different social and economic backgrounds, exposing them to challenging coursework on the path to graduation. The highest ranked U.S. public schools in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 Best High Schools rankings are those whose students demonstrated outstanding outcomes above expectations in math, reading and science state assessments, earned qualifying scores in an array of college-level exams, and graduated in high proportions.”
Hollister High School Principal Kevin Medeiros said, “We are thrilled and honored to be recognized as one of the U.S. Best High Schools for the fifth consecutive year. This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence in education and the dedication of our exceptional students, staff and community. Together, we continue to raise the bar for academic achievement and student success.”
Elaine Klauer, San Benito High School District’s Assistant Superintendent for Academics and Instructional Programs, said, “Hollister High School has again secured its place on the prestigious U.S. News Best High Schools list for an impressive fifth consecutive year. This achievement is a testament to the school’s dedication to providing a quality education to our students and underscores the district’s collective commitment to academic excellence. We are excited and honored to celebrate this achievement with our students, families, staff and community.”
SBHS District Superintendent Dr. Shawn Tennenbaum noted that Hollister High School being recognized for the past half-decade on the “Best High Schools” list is a reflection of the consistent expectations and collective support of everyone involved with educating students, from the board of trustees, administration, educators and classified staff, to the community.
“Our mission statement says that our goal is to ‘educate all students to their highest potential so they will have the greatest range of personal options upon graduation,’ and this ongoing, national recognition from U.S. News is a testament to that,” Tennenbaum said. “I am grateful that our educators, support staff, administrators, Board and community support our efforts to help all of our students achieve their goals as we promote rigor, relevance and inclusion on our campus.”
San Benito High School District Board of Trustees President John Corrigan said he is proud of the district’s ongoing commitment to delivering the highest quality education to students.
“Once again, our educators’ excellence and commitment to student success is evident in this recognition,” he said. “Our entire school community, including administrators, counselors, teachers, support staff and classified workers, work together every day with the best interests of students in mind. The ongoing recognition as a U.S. News Best High School is something about which our entire community can be proud.”
The methodology used to determine the best high schools focuses on six factors: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency and performance, underserved student performance and graduation rates. College readiness specifically measures participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.
All public high schools in the nation were eligible to be evaluated as part of the rankings, and nearly all were evaluated in the process of calculating the rankings. U.S. News reviewed nearly 25,000 public high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Each school’s profile page on the U.S. News website shows detailed, school-specific information on enrollment, graduation rates, student body, location, school type and results of state assessments, as well as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests.
The rankings, which are published online, include an analysis of detailed statistical information including school-specific data on enrollment, diversity, graduation rates, participation in free and reduced-price lunch programs, state assessment results and AP and IB test participation and performance.
To read more about Hollister High School’s ranking, visit tinyurl.com/3u7rwdvj.
