U.S. News & World Report Releases High School Rankings 2026

 

According to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 listing of “America’s Best High Schools,”  District 99’s two high schools rank among the top schools in the state and nation according to their measures. Among 984 Illinois high schools, North High was ranked 60th and South High was ranked 121st. Nationally, North High ranked 1,245 and South High ranked 2,938 out of 17,945 high schools.  

“We appreciate that our schools rank highly in the state and in the nation, but there are many ways to evaluate success,” says Dr. Hank Thiele, superintendent at District 99. “The priorities chosen by the U.S. News & World Report for these rankings do not provide a holistic view of our work or reflect the priorities determined by out Board of Education,” 

In addition to the State report card, District 99’s strategic plan measures items that directly reflect the community’s values, such as building a supportive environment that encourages students to have meaningful connections to their school community. Also, the measures tracked by the State of Illinois provide a more detailed picture of how students are progressing and learning

The State will release the 2026 report card later this fall, and the district will present highlights at a future District 99 Board of Education meeting.

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