Great Neck Public Schools Named Second-Best District In New York

GREAT NECK, NY — Great Neck Public Schools has been named the second-best school district in New York. That's according to Niche, a school search platform that ranks K-12 schools and colleges.

Niche last week released its "best schools" rankings for 2021, ranking Great Neck second out of 67

Niche has released its "best schools" rankings for 2021. See how Hicksville Public Schools fared.

4 districts.

Great Neck Public Schools Rankings In New York

• Overall: 2
• Diversity: 147
• Best school districts for athletes: 286
• Best places to teach: 9
• Districts with the best teachers: 18
• Safety: 5

The Jericho Union Free School District was ranked the best school district in the state. The Scarsdale Union Free School District rounded out the top three.

Niche ranked Great Neck South High School, which earned an overall A+ grade, the sixth best high school out of 1,244 in the state. It was also ranked the eight best college prep public high school and the 17th best school for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Great Neck North High School, meanwhile, was ranked the 12th best public school in the state and also received an overall grade of A+. It was also ranked 18th for best public high school teachers and was the 22nd best college prep public high school.

Stuyvesant High School was named the top public school in the state. Staten Island Technical High School and Bronx High School of Science rounded out the top three.

Top 10 School Districts In New York

1. Jericho Union Free School District
2. Great Neck Public Schools
3. Scarsdale Union Free School District
4. Syosset Central School District
5. Roslyn Union Free School District
6. Herricks Union Free School District
7. Manhasset Union Free School District
8. Byram Hills Central School District
9. Bronxville Union Free School District
10. Pelham Union Free School District

Top 10 Public High Schools In New York

1. Stuyvesant High School
2. Staten Island Technical High School
3. Bronx High School of Science
4. Townsend Harris High School
5. Jericho Senior High School
6. Great Neck South High School
7. High School for Math Science & Engineering at The City College of New York
8. Scarsdale Senior High School
9. High School of American Studies at Lehman College
10. Syosset Senior High School

Niche said it ranks school districts based on a rigorous analysis of academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education. It also includes test scores, college data, and ratings from the site's users.

With updated data for 94,710 public schools, 24,099 private schools and 11,822 school districts nationwide, Niche’s rankings provide an in-depth analysis of the quality of a given school, allowing parents and students to find the best fit for their needs.

The site gives more weight to certain metrics, such as a 50 percent weight based on academics, including state assessment proficiency, SAT and ACT scores, and survey responses on academics from students and parents. A 15-ercent weight is also given to teachers, including salary, absenteeism, state rest results, and survey responses on teachers from students and parents.

This year, Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, New Jersey, was ranked the best public school in America, rising from No. 5 last year and No. 12 the year before.

2021 Best Public High Schools

1. Bergen County Academies (Hackensack, NJ)
2. Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science (Worcester, MA)
3. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (Alexandria, VA)
4. North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (Durham, NC)
5. Maggie Walker Governor's School (Richmond, VA)

"2020 has been an unprecedented year on multiple fronts and yet people are making big life decisions, like moving somewhere new or adjusting to a different work situation. A lot of times, those changes are tied into choosing a school for their kids," Luke Skurman, Founder and CEO at Niche, said in a news release.

Click here to see the full list of the 2021 Best Schools rankings.