(Unsplash photo)
According to the Fraser Institute, Pembroke is home to one of the top 100 high schools in Ontario.
The institute released its annual “Report Card on Ontario Secondary Schools” for the 2023-24 school year, comparing 747 secondary schools across the province based on province-wide test results.
According to the report, Pembroke’s Ecole Secondaire Jeanne Lajoie is tied for the position of 65th best school in Ontario during the 2023-24 school year, with an overall rating of 8.2 out of 10.
The results of the study indicate the school is overperforming compared to its listed five-year average overall score of 7.6 out of 10.
Outside of the top 100, two Ottawa Valley-area Catholic schools — Bishop Smith Catholic High School in Pembroke and St. Joseph’s High School in Renfrew — both tied for 158th place with overall ratings of 7.3 out of ten.
The report indicates that Bishop Smith is overperforming compared to its five-year average score of 6.6 out of 10, while St. Joseph is slightly underperforming compared to its average of 7.4 out of 10.
No other schools in the Ottawa Valley were ranked in the top 200, although several more were included in the report:
- Arnprior District High School tied for 275th in 2023/24, with an overall rating of 6.7 out of 10.
- Mackenzie Community School in Deep River tied for 367th in 2023/24, with an overall rating of 6.1 out of 10.
- Valour JK-12 school in Petawawa tied for 401st in 2023/24, with an overall rating of 5.9 out of 10.
- Renfrew Collegiate Institute in Renfrew tied for 440th in 2023/24, with an overall rating of 5.7 out of 10.
- Opeongo High School in Douglas tied for 552nd in 2023/24, with an overall rating of 5.0 out of 10.
- Fellowes High School in Pembroke tied for 591st in 2023/24, with an overall rating of 4.6 out of ten.
- Madawaska Valley District School in Barry’s Bay tied for 633rd in 2023/24, with an overall rating of 4.3 out of 10.
Four schools received 10 out of 10 ratings, all located in the Greater Toronto Area.
(Written by Steve Berard)