RHS ranks 18th on best Alabama high schools list

U.S. News & World Report released their list of best high schools Aug. 29, and Russellville High School is ranked 18 out of 386 high schools in the state of Alabama. This is the highest RHS has ever been ranked. Last year, RHS was ranked 22nd in the state.

“This is such an amazing accomplishment,” said RCS Superintendent Dr. Heath Grimes. “To be ranked 18th out of all the high schools in the state is something everyone here at RCS can be proud of, but it’s something our whole community can be proud of as well. I’ve said this for a long time, but we have the best administrators, faculty, staff and students. They are dedicated, goal-oriented and focused on growth. We teach the whole child at RCS – academically, athletically, socially, emotionally – and it’s great to see those efforts paying off.”

These rankings, which are published yearly and based on data from two school years prior, are based on test scores for math, reading and science; underserved student performance; college readiness, which measures participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams; curriculum breadth; and graduation rates. The data that landed RHS at 18th in the state was taken from the 2020-2021 school year.

“Being ranked in the Top 25 puts RHS in the company of bigger high schools and schools with more resources and advantages than we have, but we’re still able to hang in there with them,” Grimes said. “It’s amazing, and I’m so excited for RHS and for our district as a whole. Each teacher at each school plays a role in an achievement like this because our learning is foundational. It builds every year on what was learned the previous year, so this is an accomplishment everyone can celebrate.”

According to data released along with the report, RHS is the only school in the top 25 that is a majority minority school. The student body at RHS is 60 percent minority, with Hispanic and Latino students accounting for 50 percent. RHS also has a 48 percent poverty rate, which is the third highest poverty rate among the top 25 Alabama high schools.

Dr. Jason Goodwin, current RCS administrative assistant, was principal at RHS in 2021, which is when the data was collected. He said he was excited about the rankings released today but wasn’t surprised by RHS’ success.

“Yes, we have language barriers and economic disadvantages that pose challenges for our students and our teachers, but they don’t let those challenges stand in the way of setting high standards and working hard to achieve them,” Goodwin said. “I saw it day in and day out – the determination, the innovation, the work inside and outside the classroom. There’s a lot that goes into achieving something like this, and I couldn’t think of a more deserving faculty, staff or student body. We are committed to providing a high-quality education that empowers our students to excel academically and personally.

“This recognition reaffirms our commitment to excellence, and we will continue to strive for even greater success in the future. I appreciate everyone who has contributed to our school’s success.”

Kim Burney teaches AP U.S. History at RHS, and with AP proficiency being part of the criteria used in the rankings, she said she was happy to see RHS continuing to grow and attributed the growth heavily to the school’s partnership with A+ College Ready, an organization that partners with high schools and their feeder middle schools to raise academic expectations for all students.

“This program, along with admin support over the years, has been crucial to expanding the AP program and ensuring student success,” Burney said. “In my opinion, academically, some of the benefits we are reaping are students learning skill management, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, time management and how to analyze complex materials in core subjects.

“I personally admire each of our students who choose to take these classes and challenge themselves academically. I am very proud of them, and I think our community will reap the rewards of their efforts for years to come because mastering these skills leads to being better citizens overall in the future.”

Current RHS Principal Dr. Jeremy Madden said it is absolutely a team effort when achievements like this are made, and he is glad everyone at his school and beyond is focused on having the highest standards.

“I am extremely proud of our teachers, staff, students, parents, central office team, administration team and community partners,” Madden said. “What our teachers and students have accomplished with this #18 ranking is nothing short of amazing. The way everyone here pulls together toward a common goal is great to see, and I’m thankful to be part of a school that appreciates excellence and achievement the way they do here at RHS. And while I am very pleased with our school being ranked as the No. 18 high school in Alabama, my goal will continue to be to have RHS at the #1 ranking position in this report. I believe in our students and teachers that much.”

Madden said this news was also special for him in other ways.

“On a personal level, having my high school alma mater at the highest ranking the school has ever achieved means more to me than you could imagine,” Madden said. “It’s exciting to look toward all the possibilities in store for the future.”