In Niche’s yearly report, Klein High School has been ranked in the top 25 public high schools in Houston. This is the first time in years Klein has been ranked in the top 25 schools, and outranked every school in the district. Niche is an educational site that compiles student, teacher and it’s own reviews to determine the best education systems all over the country.

“It came up on my news feed on Facebook,” principal Jessica Haddox said. “That’s how I saw it, and anytime I see articles about the best schools, I always root for Klein High so I was excited to see we were holding on to spot 25.”

Niche determined their rankings using six categories: academics, diversity, teachers, college prep, clubs & activities and health & safety. To many, they can see tangible proof that got Klein ranked in the top 25.

“Our academics is really the better line of school,” Hayes said. “That’s what we’re here for, and I think we’ve made some great strides in preparing kids for college. When former students come back from college, kids comment that college was easy because they went to Klein and it helped prepare them for the rigors of college.”

While the spot on the list doesn’t do anything for Klein, it provides recognition to the school and its staff.

“I was super excited because I think we’ve got amazing teachers and students here and I love that we’re getting recognized,” Haddox said.

The list, for Haddox, is proof that the hard work her staff and the school has put in is paying off; proof that what they’re doing is having a positive effect on students.

“Under the new direction of Dr. Champion and Dr. McGown and what we’re doing in the district with the promise to purpose division – I think all our arrows are pointed in the same direction and it’s helped us become stronger as a staff,” Haddox said.

Other staff members were boosted by the ranking and can see the positive impact the new direction has had on the school too.

“It does make you feel a sense of pride, because you want to think you had something to do with it,” associate principal Johnnie Hayes said. “Not all of it, but you played a part of the school being ranked that high, so you do feel a sense of pride.”