Niche Ranks Massapequa's Best Schools For 2020

MASSAPEQUA, NY — Seven Massapequa schools have been ranked among the best schools in the state, according to new rankings released Monday by Niche. Each school received "A" grades from the company. They are: Massapequa High School, East Lake Elementary School, Berner Middle School, Birch Lane Elementary School, Fairfield Elementary School, Unqua Elementary School and McKenna Elementary School.

Here are the best schools in the Massapequa area and their rankings:

• Massapequa High School — 129th ranked public high school in the state.
• East Lake Elementary School — 291st ranked public elementary school in the state.
• Berner Middle School — 139th ranked public middle school in the state.
• Birch Lane Elementary School — 295th ranked public elementary school in the state.
• Fairfield Elementary School —314th ranked public elementary school in the state.
• Unqua Elementary School — 395th ranked public elementary school in the state.
• McKenna Elementary School — 403rd ranked public elementary school in the state.
• Lockhart Elementary School — 687th ranked public elementary school in the state

Notably, Massapequa High School was listed as the 198th best high school for science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the state. Furthermore, several schools in the Plainedge Union Free School District and Seaford Union Free School District were also listed among the best overall in the state.

Niche looked at more than 94,000 public schools, 4,100 private schools and nearly 11,000 school districts across the country. The rankings are meant to help parents and students find schools that best fit their needs.

“Unlike traditional school rankings, which rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance, Niche’s rankings provide a real-life view of what it’s like to attend a given school,” the company said in a news release.

Comments from current students, alumni, and parents are included in the analysis, as well as observations about things like campus life, extracurricular activities, sports options, diversity, and programs for gifted and special needs students.

“Parents and students need more than test-score data,” Luke Skurman, CEO at Niche, said in the news release. “They need to understand what it’s really like to attend a school before they start the application or registration process.”

For the first time, Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, were ranked the top private and public high schools, respectively, in the nation.

2020 top public high schools:

1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
2. Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
3. Walter Payton College Prep
4. Stuyvesant High School
5. Bergen County Academies

2020 top private high schools

1. Phillips Exeter Academy
2. St. Mark’s School of Texas
3. Phillips Academy
4. The College Preparatory School
5. Trinity School