Five area school districts were ranked among the top 100 nationwide, according to the ranking website Niche, and at least seven were among the top 100 in the state.
Making the top 100 nationwide were Great Neck, Roslyn, Herricks, East Williston and Manhasset.
Niche, which measures the overall academics, safety, college readiness, teacher-student ratio, extracurricular activities and diversity of more than 10,000 school districts, gave nearly every school district on the North Shore an overall grade of “A” or higher.
The Great Neck school district was ranked seventh in the nation and second in the state. It has a 94 percent graduation rate, 1360 average SAT score, and a student-teacher ratio of 11 to 1, according to Niche.
John Powell, the assistant superintendent for business, said the ranking was likely linked to just how many students graduate, where they go professionally and the “solid education” students get.
“I do know that taxes are high and the cost of living on Long Island is costly. However, I think if you measure what you get out of it versus what you give into it, I feel the residents are getting a good deal here educationally,” Powell said. “We continually graduate and prepare young people to be a success after they leave their school.”
Powell added that it is a “team effort between the parents and the school district.”
Roslyn was ranked 33rd in the nation and sixth in the state. According to Niche, the district has a student-teacher ratio of 12 to 1, an average graduation rate of 98 percent and a 1340 average SAT school.
Herricks was 34th in the nation and just below Roslyn at No. 7 in the state. The district’s average graduation rate is listed at 97 percent, SAT score at 1300, and student-teacher ratio at 12 to 1.
Herricks jumped from last year’s nation-wide ranking of 69th, which Superintendent Fino Celano attributes to the district’s “commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.”
“It is gratifying that Herricks continues to be recognized as one of the finest school districts in the nation,” Celano said in a statement. “Our success can be attributed to our outstanding students, talented faculty, supportive parents and dedicated board of education. Congratulations to the entire Herricks community for this wonderful accomplishment.”
East Williston was ranked 49th in the nation and 9th in the state by Niche, with an average graduation rate of 95 percent, an average SAT score of 1290, and a student-teacher ratio of 11 to 1.
Manhasset was 58th in the nation and 11th in the state, according to Niche rankings, with an average graduation rate of 97 percent, SAT score of 1320 and 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
Port Washington was in the top 200 schools nationwide, at the rank of 186 on Niche, and 36th in the state. Niche rankings show an average graduation rate of 95 percent, average SAT score of 1280 and a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
Port Superintendent Kathleen Mooney said the ranking was based on standardized test scores, which failed to capture all that the district had to offer.
“While these statistics are an important tool in evaluating student progress and teacher effectiveness, we do not believe they present a full picture of a student’s educational experience or the quality and excellence of a school district or particular school,” she said in a statement.
Sewanhaka Central High School District ranked 75th in the state and 422nd in the nation, putting it among the top 5 percent of school districts nationwide with an overall Niche grade of A.
Its graduation rate is listed at 92 percent, average SAT score at 1160 and student-teacher ratio at 17 to 1.
The Mineola Union Free School district ranked in the top 200 districts in the state at 167; it was ranked 1,476 in America.
Mineola received an overall Niche grade of A-. The Meadow Drive School, one of three elementary schools in the district, received an A.
New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Union Free School District was not given a national or state ranking on Niche. An average graduation rate and SAT score were not listed, nor was a college prep score, but the district secured an A- overall Niche grade and lists a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
Save for Sewanhaka, all of the school districts are below the average 17-to-1 student-teacher ratio, according to Niche. All of the schools are also listed as spending more than $20,000 per student, nearly double the national average of $12,239 per student.
Jericho Union Free School District, also on the North Shore, was ranked No. 1 in the nation and state, with an SAT score averaging 1380, a graduation rate of 98 percent and a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1.
Rebecca Klar contributed reporting.
