Is Hatboro-Horsham Among America's Best High Schools?

Coming on the heels of last month's U.S. News and World Report's snubHatboro-Horsham High School again failed to rank among the best high schools, according to the Newsweek and The Daily Beast rankings of the nation's 2,000 best high schools. 

The rankings, which were released Monday, were based on self-reported school district data for the 2011-2012 school year, according to the report. In all, more than 5,000 high schools were asked to participate in the survey and "nearly 2,500 responded."

Like the U.S. News rankings, AP exams and college readiness/acceptance make up a significant component–25 percent for each–of the ranking standards. 

Hatboro-Horsham School District Superintendent said during Monday's school board meeting that AP exams may have weighed heavily in the U.S. News rankings and had a hand in why Hatboro-Horsham did not place on that list. For the current school year, he said 236 students are enrolled in the high school's 14 courses. 

For next year, Griffin said that number has more than doubled to 584 requests in 16 courses. The 2013-2014 school year is also the first time the high school will be allowing 10th-graders to take AP courses, Griffin said. 

"That's a very positive sign," Griffin said of the dramatic increase. "We are going to track this."

Griffin speculated that the "surprise" boost in AP courses next school year would most certainly mean Hatboro-Horsham would be included in ranking in coming years. 

Do you think Hatboro-Horsham High School should have been ranked among the best in the nation? Tell us in the comments.