The importance of education cannot be overstated. The federal government is among the organizations that measure it most closely. As a foundation of its yardsticks, it breaks education levels into several tiers–people who have less than high school education, those who are high school graduates, those with some college, those who are college graduates, and those who have post-college education. Education is tied to critical lifelong outcomes. People who are well educated tend to have higher household incomes. They tend to be more healthy. They are less likely to live in poverty. Some studies show they are likely to live longer.
To determine the best school district in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2022 Best School Districts in America ranking from Niche, a platform for education data. The top school districts in America tend to cluster in certain areas, and just 13 states are home to at least one of the top 50. Illinois has 10 districts in the top 50, more than any other state. New York has nine, followed by Pennsylvania with seven, and New Jersey with six. These districts are typically just outside of major cities like New York and Chicago.
The best school districts have something else in common, which is that they are home to a relatively wealthy population. School districts rely on taxes for funding, so the more taxable wealth in an area, the more funding these districts have for facilities, faculty, extracurriculars, and more.
The best schools also tend to have a student-to-teacher ratio lower than the nationwide ratio of 17:1. When schools can afford more teachers, students are able to get more personalized attention, which tends to benefit their overall academic performance.
To determine the best school district in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2022 Best School Districts in America ranking from Niche, a platform for education data. The Niche ranking is based on academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as student reviews submitted to Niche. Supplemental data on educational attainment at the school district level came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey and are five-year estimates.
The best school district in America is Adlai E. Stevenson High School District No. 125. Here are the details:
- Location: Lincolnshire, Illinois
- Schools: 2
- Student enrollment: 4,271
- Area bachelor’s degree attainment rate: 70.6%
- Student-to-teacher ratio: 15:1
Click here to read about the 2022 best school districts in America.
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