By Brandi Watters
The Herald Bulletin
ANDERSON, Ind. —
Two area high schools have been named among the top 6 percent in the nation.
Newsweek released its study of the nation’s best public high schools this week, naming Pendleton Heights High School and Alexandria-Monroe High School in its roster of about 1,600 schools.
Pendleton Heights scored the rank of 1,412 while Alexandria-Monroe grabbed the 1,476 spot on the list.
The list is generated by comparing schools based on their advanced placement classes and testing for students.
The list focuses on schools that aren’t considered elite, ones that cater to the average American student, according to Newsweek. A separate list is generated to rank the top elite schools.
South Madison Community Schools board member Mike Gaskill said Pendleton Heights’ ranking was unexpected, but not necessarily surprising.
“I don’t know what to attribute that to, but I will tell you the faculty there works hard to recruit kids to the advanced placement classes.”
Gaskill said he has had three children graduate from the high school between 2006 and 2008, so he’s seen the excellence of the school at work.
“It’s still fresh in my mind. I’m really saying that as much as a parent of recently graduated students rather than as a board member.”
Alice Mehaffey, superintendent of Alexandria-Monroe Community Schools, said the ranking was vindication.
“We didn’t have any idea that this kind of study was being done. It kind of proves what I’ve always said. If you just focus on doing what’s right, everything will fall into place.”
Mehaffey said the schools were not just ranked on their advanced placement course offerings, but the students’ performances on advanced placement testing.
“What I think it does for the community of Alexandria, it creates an opportunity for people to come and take a look at the community,” she said.
Mehaffey believes Alexandria deserves the recognition. “This community, the leadership in terms of the city government, the fire department, the police, every department that I’ve had any interaction with, are the hardest working people I’ve ever associated with. They stop at nothing to make life work for people in this community”
That atmosphere affects the school system, she said. “That’s what we stand for. That’s what I stand for as a leader in education.”
“We don’t accept excuses, we don’t offer excuses. We are playing this game, whether it’s the school or the community. We are playing this game to be the best in the state of Indiana. We’re going to do it because it’s right, not to be in a competition for the highest scores,” she said.
Contact Brandi Watters 640-4847, brandi.watters@heraldbulletin.com
