FHS leads area schools in academic rankings
But there are lists for individual states, too, and several area schools made the cut with one near the top.
(Note: these rankings are just traditional public, charter and magnet schools — private schools do not weigh into this list.)
Out of 496 schools and 132 districts in the Volunteer State, Farragut High School came in at a no. 18 ranking.
The Admirals boast a 96% graduation rate, which is the second-best in the Knoxville area behind L&N STEM Academy. FHS also features a 46.0 college readiness ranking and includes a total enrollment of 2,073 students, according to the report.
“Anytime you get ranked it’s a great honor,” FHS principal Dr. John Bartlett said. “When you start looking at comprehensive high schools, I think we’re in the top seven in Tennessee, and we’re a community school that’s doing very well. We’re always competing against Ravenwood, Brentwood, Independence and other schools in Franklin and Williamson County. So it’s an honor and something we look forward to every year,
seeing how we stack up. We’re got great kids in an awesome community and teachers that do the work every day, and that’s why we get ranked where we do.”
While those rankings certainly provide motivation for future growth, Bartlett reinforced the importance of taking things day-by-day to reach long-term success.
“You always want to know where you stack up,” he continued. “But just like in football, I hate to say it’s a Nick Saban thing — you do have to focus on that process of doing the right things the right way and letting the rankings take care of themselves. When you do that, they will.”
Behind FHS, Bearden High School came in at no. 32 in the Tennessee rankings, and
BHS landed at no. 4 in the Knoxville Metro rankings behind Maryville High School.
Like Farragut, the Bulldogs have a 96 percent graduation rate with 41.4 college readiness ranking with an enrollment of 1,963 students.
“We were excited to receive that recognition,” BHS principal Debbie Sayers said. “It’s important to us to be recognized for the hard work our students and teachers do, and we feel that it’s a very solid pat on the back for a job well done. So we’re always happy to be included in that list.”
Hardin Valley Academy also came in within the top 60, landing at no. 53 among Tennessee public high schools. The Hawks feature a 92% graduation rate with a 31.3 college readiness ranking among 1,916 students.
“It’s obviously a tremendous honor for our school and a tribute to the work of our staff and students,” HVA principal Dr. Kirk Renegar said. “Hardin Valley has an outstanding reputation and has had that for several years. As we continue to be intentional with our work in and around classroom instruction, the results will continue to speak for themselves.”
