Ottawa Hills High gets gold medal ranking

It is No. 19 in Ohio, reaches No. 490 nationally

4/28/2017

Ottawa Hills High School has been ranked the No. 19 high school in the state by U.S. News and World Report.

Ottawa Hills High School has again been recognized as one of the top public high schools in the state by the U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings.

The small Lucas County district came in No. 19 for Ohio high schools, which earned it a gold medal ranking. It also took spot No. 490 in the national rankings that compare data from more than 22,000 public schools.

The U.S. News and World Report’s rankings analyze students’ reading and math scores, graduation rates, and college readiness.

Ottawa Hills Superintendent Kevin Miller said he is proud his district consistently scores well, and said the gold ranking is “a feather in our cap.”

“It’s a validation of what we’re doing, that we’re on the right track and we’re helping our kids achieve at high levels,” he said.

Mr. Miller added the rankings can only capture a snapshot of a district’s success.

“We want all our students to be college and career-ready,” he said. “It’s science and math, but it’s also the arts. They’re well-spoken kids, they’re kids that know how to communicate through written and oral language, and that’s what makes me proud.”

Ottawa Hills High School is the report’s highest-ranked school in the Toledo area and jumped a few places from its No. 22 ranking in 2016.

Perrysburg High School is next highest this year, coming in No. 80 in the state and No. 1,678 nationally. Last year it was ranked at No. 60 statewide.

Sylvania’s Southview High School followed at No. 81 in the state and No.1,685 in the nation this year, with a statewide 2016 ranking of No. 119. Sylvania’s Northview High School came in at No. 93 in Ohio and No. 1,840 nationally, with a 2016 ranking of No. 101 in the state.

Julie Sanford, assistant director for teaching and learning at Sylvania Schools, said she’s pleased the district was recognized at both the state and national level.

“We’re always proud of the academic achievements of our students, and I think this ranking in particular looks strongly at academics, including whether the kids are college-ready, graduation rates, and math and English proficiency,” she said.

Maumee High School was next-highest locally and was ranked at No. 100 in Ohio, an improvement of last year’s No. 212 slot. It placed 1,918th nationally.

Columbian High School in Tiffin was No. 137 in Ohio, and Woodmore High School in Elmore was No. 139. Columbian was ranked 2,311th nationally, while Woodmore was ranked 2,357th nationally.

Contact Sarah Elms at: selms@theblade.com or 419-724-6103 or on Twitter @BySarahElms.