By the standards named by Niche, a review and ranking site of American schools, the William S. Hart Union High School District ranked as the nineteenth best district out of the 78 high school districts across Los Angeles County.

As part of the announcement, Academy of the Canyons (AOC), the middle college high school in the Hart District has been ranked as the No. 16 high school in the State of California by Niche officials.

“It’s not just about academics at AOC; it’s about the relationships we form in our community; academic rigor and relevance through project-based learning,” said Dr. Juliet Fine, principal of AOC. “To be recognized for this work is a celebration for our staff, students, and community. It’s a special recognition and we take this to heart.”

The 2022 Best Public High Schools ranking analyzes key statistics through their database of millions of reviews from students and parents from the United States Department of Education, according to the Niche website.

See Related: Hart District High Schools Ranked Among Top 12 Percent In The Country

Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality and overall high school ratings– all factors that both the Hart District and AOC have exceeded, according to Niche officials.

AOC has a total enrollment of approximately 400 students from grades 9 to 12 who are randomly selected each year from a pool of 500 to 600 applicants who apply out of the Hart District, according to AOC officials.

With the campus located at College of the Canyons (COC), students are able to take college courses on campus concurrently with their high school classes with most high school graduates also receiving an Associate Degree from COC.

“We care deeply about our small, niche community and the individual student stories that shape our school,” Dr. Fine said. “As a small school in California, we create the environment for students to reach their greatest potential and explore their passions. This is our number one job and we take it seriously every day.”

For more information on Niche’s listings, click here.

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