Chapin, Dutch Fork Among Nation's 'Most Challenging' High Schools

From Lexington-Richland 5's Office of Public Information

Two Lexington-Richland School District 5 schools have been ranked among the most challenging high schools in the nation, according to a new Washington Post list.

Dutch Fork High is ranked 383 and Chapin High is ranked 628 among the nearly 30,000 high schools nationwide.

The Washington Post ranked schools through an index formula that took the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year and divided that by the number of seniors who graduated in May or June.

“We continue to be very proud of our students’ academic performance here at Dutch Fork,” said Dr. Gregory Owings, principal of the school. “The commitment by our teachers, support staff, district office, and community makes this success possible.” 

This latest accolade affirms previous federal and state ratings. District Five was given an “Excellent” rating in the state accountability system and an “A” in the federal accountability system. Students in the district also rank near the top in SAT and ACT performance. 

District Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hefner said, “We have great teachers, who challenge our students to do their best. We also have great students who respond to the challenge by meeting and exceeding expectations.”