Montgomery, Alabama, is making headlines in the education world as U.S. News & World Report released its list of the 2024 Best U.S. High Schools this week. Surprisingly, both the highest- and lowest-ranking schools in Alabama are located in Montgomery.
Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School, known as LAMP, secured the No. 21 spot nationally and claimed the No. 1 ranking in the state. This prestigious school has consistently been a top performer, competing closely with Mountain Brook High School. However, this year, New Century Tech Demo High School from Huntsville snagged the second spot in Alabama, ranking No. 282 nationally.
The top five schools in Alabama include Homewood High School, Mountain Brook High School, and Vestavia Hills High School, following LAMP and New Century Tech Demo High School.
U.S. News & World Report analysts emphasized the importance of a well-rounded education that challenges students from diverse backgrounds. They evaluated nearly 18,000 public high schools based on indicators like college readiness, curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency, underserved student performance, and graduation rate.
In Montgomery, all of the top-performing schools are magnets, with BrewTech and Booker T. Washington joining LAMP in the top 20. These schools maintained their rankings from the previous year, showcasing high AP participation and reading proficiency rates above 65%.
On the other end of the spectrum, Montgomery’s traditional high schools, including G.W. Carver and Sidney Lanier, are among the 93 schools tied for last place in Alabama. These schools struggle with low college readiness scores and minimal AP participation.
The rankings shed light on the disparities in education within Montgomery, highlighting the need for continued efforts to support all students in their academic endeavors.