Top of the Class

These are the best high schools in Dallas, according to U.S. News & World Report

The new report names the best high schools in Dallas.

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Three Dallas high schools deserve a tip of the cap (or mortarboard) after earning marks for excellence. On June 12, U.S. News & World Report released its annual Best U.S. High Schools by metro area, ranking the top public schools in each major city.

The Science and Engineering Magnet School is at the top of the class in Dallas. In addition to earning top marks for academics, the school is notably comprised of mostly minority students — 86 percent.

To determine the country's best schools, U.S. News ranked each school using six metrics, applying different weights to each category:

College readiness (30 percent)
Math and reading proficiency (20 percent)
Math and reading performance (20 percent)
Underserved service (10 percent)
College curriculum breadth (10 percent)
Graduation rate (10 percent)

Based on the above, the school has an overall score of 99.93 (or an A-plus in high school lingo). It also racked up 100 percent across each major metric, including graduation rate, reading and math proficiency, and students taking and passing at least one AP exam, which helps determine college readiness.

At the prestigious institution, students begin taking AP courses their freshman year, securing college credit long before graduation, and have opportunities to rack up more credits through local community colleges and universities, U.S. News notes.

"Located in a complex that houses five other magnet schools, SEM offers AP courses in calculus, biology and statistics, among others," the report says. "Parents can get involved through fundraising and by hosting college planning nights."

In addition to ranking first in Dallas, SEM ranks No. 1 in Texas and No. 12 nationally. In fact, the Dallas metro's best schools dominate both the national and statewide list.

The School for the Talented and Gifted earned the No. 2 spot in Dallas (and 16th nationally), followed by Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School in the No. 3 spot (63rd nationally).

Here is how schools in other major cities in Texas compared:

Houston
Two Houston schools also placed in the top 30 nationally. DeBakey High School for Health Professions ranked No. 17 in the U.S., averaging a highly respectable 99.9 overall. Like SEM, DeBakey earned 100 percent across each major metric, making it the third best high school in the Lone Star State.

Carnegie Vanguard High School earned the No. 2 spot in Houston, 24th nationally, followed by Eastwood Academy at No. 3 locally, 97th nationally.

Austin
Austin's Liberal Arts and Sciences Academy was declared the best school in Austin, ranking No. 28 nationwide. LASA, as it is better known, earned a score of 99.84. The Northeast Austin school boasts a 100 percent graduation rate and reading and math proficiency. One hundred percent of LASA students took an AP exam last year, and 98 percent passed at least one advanced class.

The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders was No. 2 in Austin, 137th nationally, and KIPP Austin Collegiate was third locally and 198th nationally.

San Antonio
Alamo City's top performing school is Young Women's Leadership Academy, with a score of 99.18. The academy has a 100 percent graduation rate and mathematics proficiency rate. Reading proficiency is at 98 percent. Though 100 percent of students take AP exams, just 61 percent pass, which perhaps accounts for the academy not placing higher nationally (it's currently No. 20 in Texas, and 141st nationally).

YWLA is joined by Health Careers High School at No. 2 in San Antonio, 165th nationally, and International School of America, ranked No. 3 locally, 491st nationally.

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

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This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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