School Districts Where Students are Most Likely to Succeed By State

Close to 40% of high school students in the Lexington School District are enrolled in advanced placement courses, and 98% graduate on time, each among the larger shares of any school district in both Massachusetts and the U.S. as a whole. Children raised in households with well-educated parents are more likely to succeed academically, and in the Lexington School District, 81.6% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher, far more than the 30.9% share of American adults nationwide.

The best school district in Michigan is the Bloomfield Hills School District. Located in the suburbs of Detroit, it is free of many of the issues that plague other districts near the city. The per student funding in the district of roughly 5,500 students is $17,551, one of the highest amounts in the state. The district is also one of relatively few in the state with an AP enrollment rate among high schoolers above 20% and a high school graduation rate above 90%.

Pre-K education has been shown to be crucial to childhood development, and districts where more children are enrolled in early education programs are more likely to yield better educational outcomes. In the Edina Public School District, the best in Minnesota, well over 70% of 3- and 4-year olds are enrolled in preschool, compared to a state rate of 45%.

Children raised in households with well-educated parents are more likely to succeed academically, and in the Madison County school district, over half of all adults have a bachelor’s degree, the largest share of any Mississippi school district for which data is available. Students in the district also benefit from a strong early childhood education program. Madison County is one of the few districts in the state where over 75% of 3- and 4-year olds are enrolled in preschool.

While high per student spending is not a guarantee of a better education, schools with better funding are able to offer additional programs, better facilities, and hire more qualified teachers. In Missouri’s Clayton School District, located west of downtown St. Louis, per student funding exceeds $20,000 — more than double the state average K-12 funding per student. At 98%, the district has one of the best high school graduation rates in the country.