By Chris Bavender
Mt. Vernon High School has been named a Best High School by U.S. News & World Report. The school sits in the top 40 percent of the nation’s high schools and is ranked No. 15 in the Indianapolis metro area and No. 46 in the state. This is the fifth time and third year in a row MVHS has received the designation.
“It is a validation of the amazing things taking place in our classrooms each and every day. There are so many wonderful schools across the state, so to be ranked as highly as we are is truly an honor,” MVHS Principal Casey Dodd said. “It makes me proud to work with these students, educators and community members. Our highest purpose is to serve our students in our community so having this sort of recognition feels really good.”
Receiving such an honor is a reflection of the hard work that students put in day in and day out in the classroom, Dodd said.
“Coupled with the dedication our staff displays in helping our students achieve at such high levels. It really comes down to having great students and great staff members,” he said. “When you put those two elements together, there is going to be a high level of success.”
Dodd said the entire school’s performance is a point of pride for students.
“I believe they have a solid grasp of what this sort of honor means, but I will also say that I think that understanding deepens as they head into the world following their graduation from MVHS,” he said. “Time and again, I have had former students come back to discuss how they are grateful for their education here at Mt. Vernon and how it helped pave the way for future successes.”
The 2022 edition of the Best High Schools includes a numerical ranking of nearly all public high schools nationwide – approximately 18,000 schools. It utilizes data from the 2020-2021, 2019-2022 and 2018-2019 school years. Among the stats listed – MVHS students’ national percentile on college level AP exams was 82.9 percent, while the graduation rate was 98 percent.
“High schools qualify for this honor by their students demonstrating outstanding outcomes above expectations in math, reading, and science state assessment,” Dodd said. “As well as earning qualifying scores in a variety of college-level exams while also having exemplary graduation rates.”
The full report on MVHS can be found at usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/indiana/districts/mt-vernon-community-school-corp/mt-vernon-high-school-7308.
