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The best school district in every state


Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

The best school district in every state

Kids boarding a school bus.

Between parental politics, after-school programs, and PTA meetings, navigating school districts can be hard—and choosing the district that is best for your child is even harder.

Stacker analyzed 2022 data from Niche to calculate the best school district in every state. Niche rankings rely on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, SAT/ACT scores, college readiness, teacher quality, and graduation rates. Of course, ratings are one thing and experiences are another, which is why it’s always smart to research and learn about the families, teachers, and students in a given district before deciding something as important as moving based on a particular school.

Various districts prioritize funding for different programs, and some have more of a knack for hiring and retaining nurturing teachers. For some districts, it seems to be a numbers game, without any thought regarding the learning environment. Still, other districts encourage kids to explore passions and make friends but are lagging academically. A top school district isn’t just one or the other; it’s a combination of factors parents must weigh when considering a new district.

Keep reading to see how your district stacks up, or to help narrow your search for where you plan to move and raise a family.

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A3pfamily // Shutterstock

Alabama: Madison City Schools

A girl running with a backpack.

– Location: Madison, Alabama
– Total students: 11,804
– National rank: 57



Vilmos Varga // Shutterstock

Alaska: Skagway School District

A school bus driving over a bridge with mountains in the background.

– Location: Skagway, Alaska
– Total students: 144
– National rank: 481



JulieTFarbarik // Wikimedia Commons

Arizona: Catalina Foothills Unified School District

A school in a desert landscape.

– Location: Tucson, Arizona
– Total students: 5,190
– National rank: 362



Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

Arkansas: Haas Hall Academy

A classroom of older kids learning.

– Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
– Total students: 1,407
– National rank: 137



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California: Palo Alto Unified School District

A boy with red hair boarding a school bus.

– Location: Palo Alto, California
– Total students: 11,395
– National rank: 9

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Colorado: Cheyenne Mountain School District No. 12

A school bus driving through the mountains.

– Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
– Total students: 5,270
– National rank: 290



barbsimages // Shutterstock

Connecticut: Westport School District

Girls playing soccer.

– Location: Westport, Connecticut
– Total students: 5,329
– National rank: 17



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Delaware: Appoquinimink School District

Kids running up to a school.

– Location: Odessa, Delaware
– Total students: 11,914
– National rank: 489



Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons

Florida: St. Johns County School District

The brick building of St. Johns School.

– Location: St Augustine, Florida
– Total students: 44,550
– National rank: 848



Thomson200 // Wikimedia Commons

Georgia: Buford City Schools

A school with two flags on a big green lawn in front.

– Location: Buford, Georgia
– Total students: 5,468
– National rank: 87

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Joel Bradshaw // Wikimedia Commons

Hawaii: Monongalia County Schools

A white school building with a statue in front.

– Location: Morgantown, Hawaii
– Total students: 11,113
– National rank: Not ranked



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Idaho: Troy School District

Kids working on drawing at a table in school.

– Location: Troy, Idaho
– Total students: 270
– National rank: 740



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Illinois: Adlai E. Stevenson High School District No. 125

High school students taking a test.

– Location: Lincolnshire, Illinois
– Total students: 4,315
– National rank: 1



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Indiana: West Lafayette Community School Corporation

Kids exiting a school bus.

– Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
– Total students: 2,316
– National rank: 8



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Iowa: Pleasant Valley Community School District

Two kids writing at a long table together.

– Location: Bettendorf, Iowa
– Total students: 5,331
– National rank: 121

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Axarchy // Wikimedia Commons

Kansas: Blue Valley Unified School District (Overland Park)

Blue Valley brick high school.

– Location: Overland Park, Kansas
– Total students: 22,148
– National rank: 69



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Kentucky: Murray Independent Schools

Elementary kids getting off a school bus in a line and going into school.

– Location: Murray, Kentucky
– Total students: 1,783
– National rank: 263



kite studio // Shutterstock

Louisiana: Zachary Community Public Schools

A classroom of school chair desks.

– Location: Zachary, Louisiana
– Total students: 5,444
– National rank: 306



Pat Shrader // Shutterstock

Maine: Yarmouth Schools

A school bus inside with empty blue seats.

– Location: Yarmouth, Maine
– Total students: 1,670
– National rank: 172



Wallstreethotrod // Wikimedia Commons

Maryland: Howard County Public Schools

A long brick school.

– Location: Ellicott City, Maryland
– Total students: 57,293
– National rank: 307

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Massachusetts: Weston Public Schools

An elementary school library book cart.

– Location: Weston, Massachusetts
– Total students: 1,906
– National rank: 23



transly // Wikimedia Commons

Michigan: Novi Community School District

A green Novi High School sign.

– Location: Novi, Michigan
– Total students: 6,580
– National rank: 60



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Minnesota: Wayzata Public School District

A school gymnasium.

– Location: Wayzata, Minnesota
– Total students: 12,013
– National rank: 46



smolaw // Shutterstock

Mississippi: Petal School District

A light wood desk.

– Location: Petal, Mississippi
– Total students: 4,106
– National rank: 286



Prostock-studio // Shutterstock

Missouri: School District of Clayton

High school students sitting together smiling.

– Location: Clayton, Missouri
– Total students: 2,514
– National rank: 13

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Montana: Monongalia County Schools

Elementary kids looking at books with a teacher in the library.

– Location: Morgantown, Montana
– Total students: 11,113
– National rank: Not ranked



Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

Nebraska: Elkhorn Public Schools

A middle school girl with braces sitting at a desk.

– Location: Elkhorn, Nebraska
– Total students: 10,642
– National rank: 239



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Nevada: Monongalia County Schools

A colorful playground.

– Location: Morgantown, Nevada
– Total students: 11,113
– National rank: Not ranked



lonndubh // Shutterstock

New Hampshire: SAU 70

A chair back in a classroom.

– Location: Hanover, New Hampshire
– Total students: 1,054
– National rank: 96



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New Jersey: Millburn Township School District

High school students walking down the hallway.

– Location: Millburn, New Jersey
– Total students: 4,697
– National rank: 29

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C4dickson // Wikimedia Commons

New Mexico: Los Alamos Public Schools

A gray school with a green Los Alamos sign in front.

– Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
– Total students: 3,539
– National rank: 329



WoodysPhotos // Shutterstock

New York: Great Neck Public Schools

Syosset boys cross country race with many other teams.

– Location: Great Neck, New York
– Total students: 6,831
– National rank: 3



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North Carolina: Polk County Schools

Indoor sports course for kids in a gym.

– Location: Columbus, North Carolina
– Total students: 2,154
– National rank: 399



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North Dakota: Edmore School District No. 2

Kids holding sheets of music and singing.

– Location: Edmore, North Dakota
– Total students: 35
– National rank: 675



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Ohio: Solon City School District

Special education teacher working with a young boy at a green table.

– Location: Solon, Ohio
– Total students: 4,521
– National rank: 49

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Kit Leong // Shutterstock

Oklahoma: Edmond Public Schools

Sunny exterior view of the Edmond Public Schools.

– Location: Edmond, Oklahoma
– Total students: 23,496
– National rank: 285



Tada Images // Shutterstock

Oregon: West Linn-Wilsonville School District

A West Linn-Wilsonville school bus.

– Location: Tualatin, Oregon
– Total students: 9,302
– National rank: 348



Syda Productions // Shutterstock

Pennsylvania: Radnor Township School District

Kids reading and writing at their desks.

– Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
– Total students: 3,624
– National rank: 14



0xF8E8 // Wikimedia Commons

Rhode Island: Barrington Public Schools

The outside of brick Barrinton school with a blue sign.

– Location: Barrington, Rhode Island
– Total students: 3,388
– National rank: 227



wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

South Carolina: Fort Mill School District

Three kids laughing and running outside the school wearing backpacks.

– Location: Fort Mill, South Carolina
– Total students: 16,883
– National rank: 235

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Lincoln Beddoe // Shutterstock

South Dakota: Brandon Valley School District

A bench outside full of kids’ backpacks.

– Location: Brandon, South Dakota
– Total students: 4,721
– National rank: 639



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Tennessee: Maryville City Schools

A dad walking his daughter to school.

– Location: Maryville, Tennessee
– Total students: 5,441
– National rank: 383



Larry D. Moore // Wikimedia Commons

Texas: Eanes Independent School District

A stone school with a Texas and American flag in front.

– Location: Austin, Texas
– Total students: 7,968
– National rank: 10



Yuganov Konstantin // Shutterstock

Utah: Northern Utah Academy for Math Engineering & Science (Nuames)

A mom handing her daughter some spiral notebooks for school.

– Location: Layton, Utah
– Total students: 1,135
– National rank: 173



David Prahl // Shutterstock

Vermont: South Burlington School District

A school bus in front of a playground.

– Location: South Burlington, Vermont
– Total students: 2,688
– National rank: 638

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

Virginia: Falls Church City Public Schools

Students sitting in a row outside smiling.

– Location: Falls Church, Virginia
– Total students: 2,500
– National rank: 220



Architectsea // Wikimedia Commons

Washington: Mercer Island School District

The outside front of Mercer Island school on a rainy day.

– Location: Mercer Island, Washington
– Total students: 4,192
– National rank: 157



Rido // Shutterstock

West Virginia: Monongalia County Schools

Two girls sit together in class smiling at each other.

– Location: Morgantown, West Virginia
– Total students: 11,113
– National rank: Not ranked



hxdbzxy // Shutterstock

Wisconsin: Elmbrook School District

Empty wooden desks in class.

– Location: Brookfield, Wisconsin
– Total students: 7,280
– National rank: 45



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Wyoming: Sheridan County School District No. 2

A hallway of lockers.

– Location: Sheridan, Wyoming
– Total students: 3,519
– National rank: 893

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