Reno academy tops list of nation’s best public high schools

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Getting into the Davidson Academy, is not easy.

“We are taking all qualified applicants, and we are serving a very small percentage of the population,” said Colleen Harsin, the academy’s director.

Harsin says their students are split between on campus learning and those who take classes online – a change that went into effect before COVID.

“We currently have 143 students studying at the Reno campus and 100 more online,” she explained.

James Bondarchuk is a Harvard grad who came to Reno three years ago to teach at the school, and he says teaching some of the nation’s smartest student’s presents a unique challenge.

“A big part of the job is just looking into what the students find interesting, he noted. “Because what you had planned - they’ve got it.”

According to Niche - a company the researches the topic - the Davidson Academy is the nation’s number one public high school going into 2022.

Still, despite his school topping the list, Bondarchuk pointed out that objectively ranking schools is a very difficult thing to do

“Our school is the best school for our student body,” Bondarchuk said when asked about the ranking. “If someone’s in the top .1% of the intelligence spectrum then this is the school for them.”

Here are the top 5 schools according to Niche:

2022 Best Public High Schools in America

1. The Davidson Academy (NV)

2. North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NC)

3. MA Academy for Math & Science School (MA)

4. Maggie Walker Governor’s School (VA)

5. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (VA)