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Williams Bay High School is ranked #1 in Walworth County and #31 in Wisconsin according to the 2024 Best High Schools analysis by U.S. News & World Report.
“Congratulations to Williams Bay High School and the entire school district community for this achievement and recognition,” said U.S. News & World Report in announcing the recognition.
Williams Bay High School is among the 35 top high schools across the state, according to a recently released analysis from U.S. News & World Report. On April 23, the publication put out its 2024 Best High School lists, one of the most popular school rankings in the nation.
Three Walworth County High Schools — Williams Bay, East Troy and Elkhorn Area — ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s top 80 2024 Best High Schools in Wisconsin.
U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best High Schools analysis ranked approximately 17,655 public high schools out of more than 24,000 reviewed public high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including 462 of 569 in Wisconsin, based on a broad range of data to determine which high schools do the best job of preparing students to be college and career ready.
The 2024 Best High Schools rankings take a holistic approach to evaluating schools, looking at six factors: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency, underserved student performance, state assessment performance, and graduation rate.
Williams Bay High School earned an overall score of 92.64/100 in the U.S. News & World Report analysis.
“This is a testament to the dedication, hard work, and commitment of our entire school community that we have achieved such recognition,” said Williams Bay High School Principal Emily Soley-Johnson. “This accomplishment reflects the outstanding efforts of our students, the tireless support of our parents, and the exceptional professionalism of our staff. Together, we have shown what is possible when we work collaboratively towards a common goal.”
Added District Administrator Dr. William White, “This recognition is not just numbers and statistics, it’s a reflection of the unwavering pursuit of excellence that defines our school. It is a validation of the exceptional educational experience we provide to every student who walks through our doors. While this is a moment of celebration, it is also a reminder of the responsibility we carry to maintain and enhance the quality of education we offer. The Williams Bay School District continues to be a place to dream, aspire, and achieve.”
Ranked #1,300 nationally, the Grades 9-12 high school enrolls 208, has a 15:1 student-teacher ratio, and graduates 98% of its students. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams, with the AP® participation rate at Williams Bay High School currently at 62%. The total minority enrollment is 8%, and 33% of students are economically disadvantaged.
Williams Bay High School is located at 500 W. Geneva St. (State Hwy. 67) in Williams Bay.
Five county high schools badge-eligible
Five of seven Walworth County high schools earned badge-eligible 2024 Best High Schools listings from U.S. News & World Report.
Usage of U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best High Schools badge is limited to high schools listed in the top 40% of the rankings.
In addition to Williams Bay High School, other 2024 Best High School badge-eligible Walworth County high schools were as follows:
East Troy High School, #60 in Wisconsin and #2,112 nationally.
Elkhorn Area High School, #76 in Wisconsin and #2,497 nationally.
Badger High School, #152 in Wisconsin and #4,649 nationally.
Big Foot Union High School, #211 in Wisconsin and #6,969 nationally.
East Troy High School, 3128 Graydon Ave., earned an overall score of 88.04/100 in the U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best High Schools analysis.
The Grades 9-12 high school enrolls 500, has a 15:1 student-teacher ratio, and graduates 98% of its students. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams, with the AP® participation rate at East Troy High School currently at 46%. The total minority enrollment is 10%, and 21% of students are economically disadvantaged.
“Definitely a great accomplishment for the high school and the entire district,” said East Troy Community School District Administrator Dr. Christopher G. Hibner of East Troy High School’s listing in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best High Schools analysis. “Everyone involved in the educational process should take pride in this.”
Added East Troy High School Principal Stacey Kuehn, “We are a small school and community that is dedicated to ensuring our students receive a rigorous education that supports their post-secondary goals. We offer 14 Advanced Placement courses on campus at ETHS, 34 transcripted (college-level) courses on campus, and have over 40 students participating in our state accredited youth apprenticeship program. A huge thank you to our teachers and staff that support our students in their educational journey, and congratulations to our students.”
Elkhorn Area High School, 482 E. Geneva St., earned an overall score of 85.86/100 in the U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best High Schools analysis.
The Grades 9-12 high school enrolls 974, has a 15:1 student-teacher ratio, and graduates 96% of its students. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams, with the AP® participation rate at Elkhorn Area High School currently at 52%. The total minority enrollment is 22%, and 33% of students are economically disadvantaged.
“We’re pleased to see continued excellence from our staff and students,” said Elkhorn Area School District Administrator Dr. Jason Tadlock. “Being ranked one of the top high schools in the state despite being one of the lowest spending districts in the state is a great honor and a great challenge.”
Badger High School (Lake Geneva-Genoa City Union High School District), 220 E. South St. in Lake Geneva, earned an overall score of 73.67/100 in the U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best High Schools analysis.
The Grades 9-12 high school enrolls 1,326, has a 16:1 student-teacher ratio, and graduates 97% of its students. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams, with the AP® participation rate at Badger High School currently at 37%. The total minority enrollment is 30%, and 34% of students are economically disadvantaged.
“I am proud of the entire Badger High School community,” said Lake Geneva Schools District Administrator Peter Wilson. “Our dedicated teachers and staff are committed to engaging, educating and empowering students to pursue their dreams and aspirations. The educational options at Badger span all career and college readiness benchmarks. Whether a student intends to enter the workforce with certifications, attend a two or four-year university with college credit in hand, head to a technical school, or enter the military, all students can find their pathways at Badger.
“While Badger and Lake Geneva Joint #1 Schools have much to be proud of, we know there are areas to improve and expand upon. That’s why community stakeholders, including students, parents, staff, the Boards of Education, and community members, developed our comprehensive Five-Year Strategic Plan for the Districts. The mission, vision, commitments, pillars, and five-year strategic objectives set the course for the next five years of continuous improvement at Badger High School and within the Lake Geneva Joint #1 Schools.”
Big Foot Union High School, 401 Devils Lane in Walworth, serves the West End communities of Walworth, Sharon and Fontana, as well as parts of the towns of Linn and Delavan. Big Foot earned an overall score of 60.53/100 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best High Schools ranking.
The Grades 9-12 high school enrolls 456, has a 14:1 student-teacher ratio, and graduates 100% of its students. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams, with the AP® participation rate at Big Foot Union High School currently at 28%. The total minority enrollment is 27%, and 34% of students are economically disadvantaged.
“We are very happy to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report,” said Big Foot District Administrator Doug Parker. “It’s always great to celebrate academic excellence. We are very proud of our staff and students.”
Added Big Foot High School Principal Jeremy Andersen, “The U.S. News & World Report’s Best High School ranking recognition is a wonderful honor for Big Foot High School. They use metrics that we value and track such as student assessment scores, graduation rate, and college/career readiness. The high ranking reflects the hard work and accomplishments of both students and staff here at Big Foot.”
Delavan-Darien, Whitewater not badge-eligible
Listed in U.S. News & World Report’s analysis rankings, but not badge-eligible, were two Walworth County high schools:
Delavan-Darien High School, #279 in Wisconsin and #10,091 nationally.
Whitewater High School, #286 in Wisconsin and #10,290 nationally.
Delavan-Darien High School, 150 Cummings St. in Delavan, earned an overall score of 42.84/100 in U.S. News & World Report’s analysis.
The Grades 9-12 high school enrolls 585, has a 14:1 student-teacher ratio, and graduates 97% of its students. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams, with the AP® participation rate at Delavan-Darien High School currently at 23%. The total minority enrollment is 54%, and 52% of students are economically disadvantaged.
Noting he was unfamiliar with and had not had time to research how U.S. News & World Report develops its 2024 Best High Schools analysis rankings, Delavan-Darien School District Chief Operating Officer and Business Administrator Anthony F. Klein declined to comment on Delavan-Darien High School’s ranking by the Washington, D.C.-based media company, which has been providing education rankings since 1983.
Whitewater High School, 534 S. Elizabeth St., earned an overall score of 41.71/100 in the U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best High Schools ranking.
The Grades 9-12 high school enrolls 612, has a 15:1 student-teacher ration and graduates 91% of its students. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams, with the AP® participation rate at Whitewater High School currently at 28%. The total minority enrollment is 42%, and 42% of students are economically disadvantaged.
“We are noting growth from the measure from last year and are eager to see future growth with our current strategies uniquely focusing on literacy for our students in Whitewater,” said Whitewater Unified School District Administrator Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty.
Wisconsin
A total of 462 of Wisconsin’s 569 public high schools made the U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best High Schools rankings.
The top ten public high schools in Wisconsin in the analysis were: 1) Whitefish Bay High School (Whitefish Bay School District), #164 nationally; 2) Lakeview Technology Academy (Kenosha School District) in Pleasant Prairie, #221 nationally; 3) Brookfield East High School (Elmbrook School District), #267 nationally; 4) High School of Health Sciences (Kettle Moraine School District) in Wales, #285 nationally; 5) Eisenhower Middle-High School (New Berlin School District), #333 nationally; 6) Brookfield Central High School (Elmbrook School District), #355 nationally; 7) Cedarburg High School (Cedarburg School District), #380 nationally; 8) Reagan College Preparatory High School (Milwaukee Public Schools), #458 nationally; 9) Middleton High School (Middleton-Cross Plains School District), #527 nationally; and 10) Homestead High School (Mequon-Thiensville School District) in Mequon, #561 nationally.
Recent data shows violent crime rates are going down throughout Wisconsin and across the nation, but law enforcement is dealing with other day…
Williams Bay High School, 500 W. Geneva St. (State Hwy. 67) in Williams Bay, is the top-performing Walworth County high school in U.S. News & World Report’s recently released 2024 Best High Schools ranking. Williams Bay High School ranked 31st overall in Wisconsin in the report. Five of seven public high schools in Walworth County earned 2024 Best High Schools badge honors, with Williams Bay, East Troy and Elkhorn Area placing in the top 80 high schools in Wisconsin in the news magazine’s popular annual analysis.