Annually, US News & World Report, in concert with a third party global nonprofit social science research firm, team up to rank approximately 18,000 public high schools, including charter and magnet high schools. The Silver Badge award places Byron High School in the top 15-20% nationwide.

US News & World Report states, “The methodology for identifying the top-ranked Best High Schools was developed with a core principle in mind: that the top schools must serve all students well and must produce measurable academic outcomes that support this mission.” 

According to the U.S. News Best High Schools methodology, schools were rated on the following six measures, and the weights used for each indicator are in parentheses:  College Readiness (30%), College Curriculum Breadth (10%), Reading and Math Proficiency (20%), Reading and Math Performance (20%), Underserved Student Performance (10%), and Graduation Rate (10%). 

In response to receiving the news about the award, BHS principal Jay Mullens stated, “This recognition is a reflection of the hard work put forth by our students. It is also a representation of our entire school district’s culture. All staff in the Byron School District should be extremely proud of our students and themselves. The foundational pieces of our kids’ education begins at Mary Morgan Elementary School before they are handed off to Byron Middle School and eventually land at Byron High School. The tireless effort and committed partnership between our students, staff, and parents of our community make earning awards like this one possible.”