By ROBERT LINNEHAN
Haddonfield Memorial High School has long been ranked as one of the best high schools in South Jersey, but now it can be referenced as one of the best high schools in the entire country.
Newsweek Magazine recently put out a poll of the top 500 high schools in the entire country and ranked HMHS at 125. Haddonfield was the highest ranked school in Camden County, with Cherry Hill High School East coming in at the second-highest at 226.
Newsweek ranked the schools using six components. Graduation rate was worth 25 percent of the school’s score, college matriculation rate was worth 25 percent, AP tests taken per graduate was worth 25 percent, average SAT/ACT scores were worth 10 percent, average AP/IB/AICE scores were worth 10 percent, and AP courses offered were worth 5 percent.
Haddonfield received a total score of .651. The best school in the country, School of Science and Engineering Magnet in Dallas, Texas, had a total score of 2.874.
The ranking puts Haddonfield in the top half-percent of the best public high schools in the entire country, Superintendent Dr. Richard Perry said.
“It puts us as being the top high school in South Jersey and one of the best in the state,” Perry said. “We’re very proud of it and the administration, parents, and especially the students who have helped us achieve this great honor. It shows the outstanding academic programming we have in our high school.”
The school district is currently devising a marketing program around the recent rankings to attract more tuition students to the Haddonfield Middle School and HMHS, Perry said.
When you have this great ranking, an outstanding athletic program, and great administrators and teacher, Perry said it goes a long way towards attracting more tuition students to the district.
“It also helps with the recruiting of staff, both teachers and administrators. Before this even came out we had a few elementary school openings and we received over 1,500 applicants,” he said. “Many of the applicants said it was one of their career goals to work in the school district.”
Board of Education Member Joe Ehrhardt — head of the district’s tuition recruiting program — said the ranking is great news for the program. He did not believe that it has had an effect on tuition numbers as of yet, but said it could only be a positive for the school district.
To view the complete rankings, visit Newsweek’s Web site at www.newsweek.com and search for “Top 500 high schools” to see the story.
