Public schools in the United States cater to almost 50 million students across over 97,000 institutions. However, the quality of education can significantly differ by district, which typically oversees schools in towns and cities nationwide. When assessing the top school districts in each state, certain patterns quickly emerge. Niche’s evaluations often favor smaller school districts. For instance, in Massachusetts, the top-ranked Hopkinton Public Schools has around 4,000 students, while Boston Public Schools, with 46,169 students, ranks much lower at 133rd place out of over 230 districts in the state.
These ratings are provided by Niche, an organization focused on educational assessments. They take into account various factors such as academics, diversity, faculty quality, college readiness, extracurriculars, and administration when evaluating districts. While some states boast districts excelling in all areas, others may have the top district not leading in academics but scoring well in other aspects, boosting its overall rating.
Here are some of the top school districts in different states:
- Alabama: Homewood City Schools
- Alaska: Skagway School District
- Arizona: Chandler Unified School District No. 80
- Arkansas: Haas Hall Academy
- California: Palo Alto Unified School District
- Colorado: Cheyenne Mountain School District No. 12
- Connecticut: Westport School District
- Delaware: Appoquinimink School District
- Florida: Sarasota County Schools
- Georgia: Buford City Schools
- Hawaii: No school districts in Hawaii
- Idaho: McCall-Donnelly School District
- Illinois: Adlai E. Stevenson High School District No. 125
- Indiana: West Lafayette Community School Corporation
- Iowa: Pleasant Valley Community School District
- Kansas: Blue Valley Unified School District (Overland Park)
- Kentucky: Beechwood Independent Schools
- Louisiana: Zachary Community Public Schools
- Maine: Athens Public Schools
- Maryland: Howard County Public Schools
- Massachusetts: Hopkinton Public Schools
- Michigan: Novi Community School District
- Minnesota: Wayzata Public Schools
- Mississippi: Biloxi Public School District
- Missouri: Ladue School District
- Montana: Bozeman High School District
- Nebraska: Elkhorn Public Schools
- Nevada: Douglas County School District
- New Hampshire: SAU 70
- New Jersey: Northern Valley Regional High School District
- New Mexico: Texico Municipal Schools
- New York: Jericho Union Free School District
- North Carolina: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
- North Dakota: Kindred Public School District
- Ohio: Indian Hill Exempted Village School District
- Oklahoma: Jenks Public Schools
- Oregon: Lake Oswego School District
- Pennsylvania: Radnor Township School District
- Rhode Island: Barrington Public Schools
- South Carolina: Fort Mill School District
- South Dakota: South Central School District
- Tennessee: Maryville City Schools
- Texas: Eanes Independent School District
- Utah: Northern Utah Academy for Math Engineering & Science (Nuames)
- Vermont: Norwich School District
- Virginia: Falls Church City Public Schools
- Washington: Bellevue School District
- West Virginia: Monongalia County Schools
- Wisconsin: Elmbrook School District
- Wyoming: Sheridan County School District No. 1
What causes disparities in US public schools?
One significant factor contributing to inequalities in public schools is their funding mechanism. Property taxes serve as a key revenue source for school districts, with property values varying widely between different areas. The bulk of school funding, approximately eighty-one percent, is derived from property taxes, with state and federal contributions supplementing some district budgets. In certain states like Connecticut and Rhode Island, property taxes contribute up to 99 percent and 97 percent of school funding, respectively.
Due to the discrepancies in home values across towns, school district budgets exhibit significant disparities. Research from the Urban Institute reveals that affluent regions tend to have well-funded schools, and districts with predominantly white student populations receive $23 billion more than those with predominantly students of color. These class and race-based inequities have tangible effects on students in underfunded districts. The Opportunity Atlas, a collaborative effort between the US Census Bureau and Harvard University, illustrates the adverse impact of growing up in low-income areas on individuals’ future prospects. According to Opportunity Insights, children from low-income families generally experience below-average outcomes as adults, emphasizing the far-reaching consequences of such disparities.