Valley high schools make magazine's list of best in nation

McALLEN — IDEA College Preparatory, the South Texas High School for Health Professions (Med High) and Hidalgo Early College High School remain among the top 100 high schools in the country, according to a national news magazine.

U.S. News & World Report listed the three schools, along with 17 other Rio Grande Valley public high schools, among in its feature “America’s Best High Schools 2009.”

The magazine determines its top schools by looking at how many students are enrolled in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes and how many pass those programs’ exams. It examined more than 21,000 schools from 48 states and Washington, D.C., and recognized more than 1,700 schools.

Schools were awarded gold, silver or bronze awards depending on how high they ranked on the list. The top 100 schools received gold awards.

IDEA College Preparatory, 401 S. First St., Donna, ranked 13th this year, up six spots from its 2008 ranking. Med High ranked 88 and Hidalgo ranked 97, according to the magazine.

This is the second year IDEA has made the list. Med High and Hidalgo Early College High School have been on the list before.

“It’s a tremendous honor for the community, the schools and the kids we serve,” said Hidalgo schools Superintendent Edward Blaha. “It’s also humbling.”

The recognition validates the work teachers and administrators have done to ensure students are ready for post-secondary education, Blaha said.

“We feel we’re on the right path,” he said. “We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there.”

The inclusion of Med High on the U.S. News list for three years shows that the school is preparing its students well for careers in the medical field, Principal Barbara Heater said.

“We’re starting to see more health professionals (in the Valley) who are Med High graduates,” Heater said.

Having three Valley schools in the top 100 also shows that the region’s students can not only compete but can also surpass many of their peers across the nation, IDEA Public Schools officials said.

“Kids from these communities can really excel,” said Jeremy Beard, principal of IDEA College Preparatory.

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Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.

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U.S. News & World Report also awarded 17 other Rio Grande Valley schools its silver and bronze awards.

Silver award winners are:

>> Hanna High School, Brownsville

>> Pace High School, Brownsville

>> Simon Rivera High School, Brownsville

>> Port Isabel High School, Port Isabel

>> Santa Maria High School, Santa Maria

>> South Texas Academy of Medical Technology (Med Tech), San Benito

>> Edinburg North High School, Edinburg

>> La Joya High School, La Joya

>> Science Academy of South Texas (Sci Tech), Mercedes

>> South Texas Business, Education & Technology Academy (BETA), Edinburg

>> Weslaco East High School, Weslaco

>> Weslaco High School, Weslaco

Bronze award winners are:

>> Los Fresnos High School. Los Fresnos

>> Raul Yzaguirre School for Success, Brownsville

>> Donna High School, Donna

>> Rio Grande City High School, Rio Grande City

>> San Isidro High School, San Isidro