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This Austin high school is at the top of the class, says U.S. News & World Report

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From high school to the world.

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One Austin high school is at the head of the class when it comes to the best public high schools.

New rankings from U.S. News & World Report put Austin ISD's Liberal Arts and Science Academy at No. 34 nationally (up from No. 41 last year) among the country's best high schools. LASA ranks as the No. 4 best public high school in Texas, as well as No. 70 nationally among the best STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) high schools.

Topping the national list is Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Arlington, Virginia.

In the Texas rankings, Liberal Arts and Science Academy comes in behind a trio of Dallas ISD schools:

School for the Talented and Gifted, No. 1 in Texas; No. 8 nationally (up from No. 13 last year); No. 8 nationally among the best STEM high schools; and No. 4 among the best magnet high schools.
Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, No. 2 in Texas; No. 20 nationally among the best high schools (down from No. 15 last year); and No. 8 nationally among the best magnet high schools.
Science and Engineering Magnet School, No. 3 in Texas; No. 22 nationally among the best high schools (up from No. 39 last year); No. 7 nationally among the best STEM high schools; and No. 10 nationally among the best magnet high schools.

These are the rest of Texas’ top 10 among the country’s best public high schools:

No. 40 (up from No. 42 last year), Houston ISD’s Carnegie Vanguard High School.
No. 48 (up from No. 59 last year), Dallas ISD’s Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet. No. 17 nationally among the best magnet high schools.
No. 50 (down from No. 46 last year), Houston ISD’s DeBakey High School for Health Professions. No. 43 nationally among the best STEM high schools and No. 18 nationally among the best magnet high schools.
No. 77 (up from No. 102 last year), BASIS San Antonio - Shavano Campus. No. 25 nationally among the best STEM high schools and No. 17 nationally among the best charter high schools.
No. 78 (up from No. 108 last year), San Antonio ISD’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy. No. 18 nationally among the best charter high schools.
No. 102 (down from No. 96 last year), Northside ISD’s Health Careers High School (San Antonio). No. 26 nationally among the best magnet high schools.

Each year, U.S. News evaluates high schools on six factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth, and graduation rates. In all, more than 17,800 schools were graded.

The rankings “take a comprehensive approach to evaluating schools,” says Eric Brooks, principal data analyst at U.S. News. “Looking at factors like graduation rates and underserved student performance, families can use this information to learn more about their local schools.”

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Austin makes merry as one of the best cities to celebrate Christmas

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Austinites are right at home when it comes to experiencing the best Christmas in Texas this year. The very merry state capital has jumped into the No. 23 spot on WalletHub's annual list of the best cities for celebrating Christmas in 2024.

The yearly report ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Austin previously ranked as the No. 31 best U.S. city for celebrating Christmas in WalletHub's 2023 report.

Here's how Austin performed in the five main categories in the study:

No. 19 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 20 – Shopping rank
No. 36 – Costs rank
No. 42 – Generosity rank
No. 72 – Observance rank

Austin gets to cheer itself on as the highest-ranked Texas city in 2024 thanks to its heap of holiday happenings, including numerous delightful light displays throughout town. From local restaurants and bars putting their all into creating festive feasts to-go and delightful cocktail experiences, to locals supporting small businesses at holiday markets, there is plenty to get Austinites in the holiday spirit this year.

Smaller Central Texas towns like Smithville have also transformed into fun, festive escapes for city dwellers this time of year.

Austin households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Austin household is expected to spend about $1,905 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $1,877 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

In a separate report by home services provider Thumbtack, Austin was crowned the No. 1 most festive U.S. city for the third year in a row.

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include San Antonio (No. 30), Dallas (No. 31), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

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