Two Lemont Students Earn Perfect 36 On ACT

LEMONT, IL — Lemont High School seniors Matthew Butler and Ishan Samani joined a select list of Lemont High School students when each recorded a 36 on the ACT during the April 2026 administration of the exam, the school shared in a news release.

They are among just 11 Lemont High School students ever to achieve the feat.

Both Butler and Samani are standout students, LHS said, and each has accumulated one of the top grade point averages in the Class of 2027. Both students have earned AP Scholar with Distinction honors.

On average, less than two-tenths of one percent of students who take the ACT earn the top score, according to LHS. The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics and reading. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a student’s composite score is the average of the three test scores. The science test is optional.

Butler has been a member of the Health Occupations Student Association (HOSA) and has competed on the Scholastic Bowl team. He already has completed eight Advanced Placement classes, and currently is enrolled in four AP classes, a dual credit English course, and a dual credit Math course, according to LHS.

Samani began his career at Lemont High School as a middle schooler, taking an accelerated math class on campus as an eighth grader at Old Quarry Middle School. He is a member of the boys’ tennis program, HOSA, and the Robotics Club, and has earned induction to the school’s chapters of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society. A National Merit Commended Student, he already has completed six AP classes, and currently is enrolled in two AP classes and a dual credit English course, the school shared.