Francis HowellHigh School

The 2018 U.S. News & World Report Best High School Rankings have been released, and all three traditional high schools in the Francis Howell School District were named to the prestigious list of the Best High Schools in Missouri. The rankings evaluate more than 500 public high schools in Missouri and more than 20,000 nationwide to identify schools that best serve all of their students – including historically underserved populations – and assess the degree to which students are prepared for college-level coursework.

Francis Howell (FHHS), Francis Howell North (FHN), and Francis Howell Central (FHC) were all on the top 25 list in Missouri, and were also ranked in the top 2,500 high schools in the nation. FHHS was ranked #14, FHN was #22, and FHC was ranked #23. Click here to see the rankings for FHSD high schools. All three high schools scored well above the state average in math and English proficiency, as well as college readiness.

“This recognition speaks to the effort, resilience, and collaboration of our students, parents, and staff as we continue to work together to create a great educational experience,” said FHSD Superintendent Dr. Mary Hendricks-Harris. “Our high schools have been honored to receive this award over multiple years, which also indicates how our efforts have encouraged a culture of excellence and continued focus on maximizing opportunities for student growth.”

Click here to see the rankings for all high schools in Missouri. These rankings show how FHSD high schools compare to others in St. Charles and St. Louis County, as well as all high schools from across the state. "Top-ranked schools succeed in three main areas: exceeding expectations on state proficiency tests, offering challenging coursework and graduating their students," said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News. "We encourage parents to use the Best High Schools rankings and data to research which schools in their state and nationwide are ensuring students are well-equipped for the future."

U.S. News comprehensive rankings methodology is based on the key principles that a great high school must serve all of its students well, not just those who are college-bound, and that it must be able to produce measurable academic outcomes to show the school is successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators. You can read more about the ranking methodology by clicking here.