On April 23, U.S. News and World Report released their list of the 2024 Best High Schools as well as a ranking of nearly 18,000 different high schools nationwide.
Taft High School was included on the list for the sixth year in a row, rising every year, placing as the 160th best high school in Illinois out of 724 high schools in the state. Nationally, we placed 4,486th in the nation out of 17,655 schools ranked.
Taft High School has also been awarded a U.S. News Best High School Award Badge, which according to the U.S. News and World Report website is meant to recognize “educational excellence.” Public high schools that earned rankings in the top 40% nationally received the award.
According to the U.S News and World Report website, schools are ranked on their performance on state required tests, graduation rate and how well students are prepared for college. Taft High School received a score of 74.59 and went up 10 schools.
The list has definite importance according to Principal Mark Grishaber. “I dont think it’s valuable for some of the schools that handpick their kids but it is for a neighborhood school like Taft where 1000 of our kids are either DL or EL students,” he said. “…We take all students with open arms, so it really is a big deal when we’re in the top 20 percent and we can take any kid that comes to school.”
Next school year Grishaber is going to be retired and now AP Ryan Glowacz will be taking his position. Under his administration, Glowacz plans to achieve the title of a Blue Ribbon School. This is an achievement that honors elementary and secondary schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.
“Being a Blue Ribbon School is the next step and I know it’s achievable,” said Glowacz.
