This Knox County high school was just named in the top 10 in Tennessee

Areena Arora, Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read
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One of Knox County Schools' best-known specialty high schools, L&N STEM Academy, has once again received a national distinction.

The high school was ranked No. 8 in Tennessee and No. 670 nationally in the new U.S. News & World Report list. It is the only Knox County school to make the cut.

The school, housed in a former railroad station in downtown Knoxville, is designated as a Tennessee "reward school," meaning it is among the top schools in the state.

Principal James Allen, now in his fifth year in the role, said the honor reflects the hard work the students and teachers have put in.

"It was a wonderful message to wake up to this morning in my email," he said.

What makes the school unique, Allen said, is its "what could be" approach. The school prepares students for success beyond school and even college by securing high-paying STEM jobs.

"I truly think the best is yet to come," he said.

The school's list of achievements is long. It is a:

  • Three-time winner of Tennessee's first Apple School of Distinction, awarded to schools that are "centers of leadership and educational excellence," according to Apple

  • US News & World Report medalist with silver in 2017, gold in 2016 and bronze in 2015

  • Three-time Newsweek's Top 500 American High Schools 2015-17

  • Three-time Tennessee Reward School

Schools are ranked by US News & World Report on students' performance on state-required tests, graduation rates and how well-prepared students are for college.

On the Tennessee Department of Education's report card, L&N has a perfect score on these metrics: graduation rate, preparedness for college and student achievement, indicated by state's math and English language tests.

The school has a graduation rate of 98%, US News wrote.

L&N STEM was assessed against 17,680 schools nationally and 351 in Tennessee. The school has 574 students.

How did other high schools in Knox County rank?

L&N STEM Academy was followed by Farragut High School, which ranked second in the county and 19th in the state.

Here are the rankings of all other public high schools in the district.

Areena Arora, data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at areena.arora@knoxnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AreenaArora.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: L&N STEM Academy among tops in Tennessee by U.S. News & World Report