Dallas had but four high schools listed among Newsweek's list of the top public high schools in the U.S. and A. in 2003 -- and back then, the highest-rated among the locals was Highland Park High School, which sat at No. 15 on the list, followed by W.T. White (at 290), Lake Highlands (482) and Hillcrest (745). That number grew to six last year, with the School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center coming in at No. 1, followed by the likes of the School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center (No. 2), HP (16), White (139), Hillcrest (642) and Lake Highlands (all the way down at 1,061).
The just-released list ups the count to seven -- with, yup, Unfair Park fave Woodrow Wilson now on the list at No. 518, or 29 spots above Hillcrest. The TAG magnet drops a spot; the Science and Engineering Magnet slips to fourth. But W.T. White keeps creeping up the list; it's now all the way up to 127, which is tough to swallow for a T.J. grad, but there ya go. HP's still way at the top, at No. 15; Lake Highlands clings to the 1,044 spot. Only six months to go till U.S. News and World Report disputes the rankings. --Robert Wilonsky
