Walt Whitman HS, South Huntington Schools, Place Well In Niche Ranks

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — Walt Whitman High School and the South Huntington School District moved up in Niche.com's annual rankings report.

Walt Whitman ranked No. 5 out of 59 public high schools in Suffolk County with an overall grade of A+, while islandwide, the school stands at No. 22 of the more than 125 high schools across Long Island.

Since last school year’s Niche.com report, Walt Whitman High School moved up from No. 8 to No. 5 in the Suffolk County rankings, and when looking at all of New York state, Whitman ranked No. 71 out of 1,255 public high schools.

The South Huntington School District, as a whole, moved up two spots in the Niche.com rankings from the 10th spot to No. 8 with an overall grade of A+.

The Suffolk County Niche rankings can be seen here. The rankings are sortable by region and state levels.

"We are extremely pleased in moving up into the top 5 of high schools in Suffolk County, and in the top 10 in overall scores for our school district," Superintendent Dr. Vito D’Elia said via news release. "We believe we can keep moving in this direction, and we’re happy that the community feels good about its schools. It also shows a commitment from all of our employees to give all young people in this community a great experience through the South Huntington School District."

Niche compiles profiles annually on every school and college in the United States using U.S. Department of Education and other public data, plus millions of reviews and ratings from students, parents and teachers to come up with its rankings.

In addition to academics, Niche grades schools in the areas of administration, teachers, diversity, college prep, sports, clubs and activities, facilities, and food.

Ken Costa, principal of Walt Whitman High School, said the climb in the rankings shows how "special" the district is.

"Being both the principal and an alumnus of Walt Whitman High School, I am overjoyed at how our district is faring among other districts across Suffolk County and Long Island," he stated. "The fact that we have such a diverse and eclectic group of students, and are able to accomplish such amazing things, is a testament to my staff and my community."

Walt Whitman High School offers students a wide variety of courses, including more than 30 AP and 25 college credit courses; honors, music and arts; life skills for students with special needs; BOCES; and College and Career Readiness programs partnering with community businesses in all aspects of industry, medicine, technology, and arts.

This September, the high school plans to add more than 30 new courses, including Wall Street Investment, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Web Design, and American Sign Language. The high school will also be moving to a nine-period day, from its current eight-period day, to give students more chances to explore their interests by taking more elective courses.

Nicholas Ciappetta, the South Huntington School Board president, said the district is working to offer students even more.

"The Niche.com rankings demonstrate that South Huntington is one of the finest school districts on Long Island," Ciappetta said. "This is a testament to the exceptional dedication and talent of our faculty and staff. In South Huntington, however, we don’t rest on our laurels and look forward to improving our ranking."

The South Huntington Union Free School District was established in December 1924 when South Huntington Common School District 12 and West Hills Common District 13 voted to consolidate.