Rankings evaluate more than 17,600 schools
Putnam County – Cookeville High School has been recognized as one of the best high schools in the nation among the 2023-2024 Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report.
The rankings evaluate more than 17,600 schools at the national, state and local levels.
“This is a great honor for the Putnam County School System and, particularly, Cookeville High,” said PCSS Superintendent Corby King. “The faculty, staff, and students at Cookeville High are working hard to make a difference in education and this is great recognition for their efforts.”
Out of 485 public high schools in the state of Tennessee, Cookeville High was ranked 74th. With 33,370 public high schools in the United States, CHS was ranked 5,136th. That puts Cookeville High in the top 16% in both the state and the nation.
“Our school is so deserving of this honor,” said CHS Principal Karen Trentham. “Our students, faculty, and staff have worked so hard to receive this accolade. I am so proud of our school and what we have accomplished, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish in the future.”
When it opened in Aug. 1996, the “new” Cookeville High School was one of the largest high schools in the state and in the southeast with more than 2,000 students. The 1996-1997 school year was the first time all four high school grade levels (9th through 12th) were together in the same building as the old Cookeville High only housed grades 10 through 12 for some 30 years. The facility is now home to home to 2,203 students.
“Having access to a strong high school program is paramount for students as they face an ever-changing world,” says Liana Loewus, managing editor of education at U.S. News. “Making data on our high schools available helps parents ensure their child is in the educational environment that best sets them up to thrive.”
Rankings are determined on six indicators of school quality:
- college readiness
- breadth of curriculum
- scores on state proficiency tests
- performance in reading, math and science
- underserved student performance
- graduation rates.
The breakdown of Cookeville High’s ranking can be viewed at www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/tennessee/districts/putnam-county/cookeville-high-school-18179.
Photos courtesy of PCSS.
