KENNEBUNK – Kennebunk High School has been ranked the No. 2 high school in Maine for the second year in a row by U.S. News and World Report.

As it did in 2020, Greely High School in Yarmouth took top state honors. Falmouth High School ranked third in 2021 and Cape Elizabeth High School took fourth place.

Kennebunk High School took the second-place slot in 2020, up from 11th place in 2019.

The news agency ranked more than 17,800 public high schools throughout the country. Rankings focus on college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates.

For the second consecutive year, Kennebunk High School has retained the ranking as the No. 2 school in Maine, according to an annual survey by U.S. News and World Report. Dan King photo

U.S. News and World Report pointed out that data used in the 2021 rankings is from the 2018-2019 academic school year, and was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The global research firm RTI International helped the news agency implement the ranking methodology.

“Kennebunk High School is a great school,” said Principal Jeremie Sirois. “We have kids that work hard each and every day. We also have kids that take Advanced Placement and IB exams at a high level and those students achieve great results. Our graduation rate is very high as well. These are factors that certainly help our cause to remain No. 2 for the second consecutive year.”

With an enrollment of 718 students, the student-teacher ratio at Kennebunk High School is 12 to 1.

The International Baccalaureate participation rate at Kennebunk High School is 43 percent. The total minority enrollment is 8 percent, and 14 percent of students are economically disadvantaged, the survey found.

Kennebunk High School ranked 2,386 out of 17,800 high schools surveyed nationally. Last year, the national ranking was 1,553 of 17,700 surveyed.

The graduation rate at KHS is 94 percent. The school’s college readiness index rank is second in Maine; curriculum breadth third; math and reading proficiency sixth; math and reading performance 29th; and  the KHS graduation rate ranking statewide is 23rd, according to U.S. News and World Report.

The 2021 survey noted that 43 percent of KHS students took at least one IB exam; 29 percent passed at least one IB exam; 59 percent of students were proficient in math; and 71 percent were proficient in reading. The figures were down somewhat from 2020 rankings that showed 54 percent of students took IB exams and that 41 percent passed at least one IB exam; 58 percent of students were proficient in math and 76 percent in reading.

“I’m proud to be a part of this school and district,” said Sirois, who came to RSU 21 a year ago after a seven-year stint as principal at Biddeford High School. “The commitment of students, families and staff to the educational process is exceptional.”