Millennium 6-12 Makes the Grade: Tops in Broward, Miami and State

by Martin Lenkowsky May 9, 2024

by Martin Lenkowsky May 9, 2024 341 views

Millennium 6-12 Makes the Grade: Tops in Broward, Miami and State

Principal Gastrid Harrigan with Ysabella Herrera, BRACE/College Advisor and Marlene Wright, High School Counselor {Millennium}

Not only did Millennium 6-12 Collegiate Academy bring home top honors as being named the No. 1 public high school in both Broward County and the entire Miami-Dade area in the coveted U.S. News & World Report rankings, but it also placed No. 2 in Florida high schools among the 2024 Best High Schools.

Nationally, the Tamarac school was ranked No. 41.

This was the first time the school had received a ranking from the news magazine. However, Principal Dr. Gastrid Harrigan did not seem at all surprised. “We knew we were the best in the district,” he said, “and now we have the data.”

College advisor Ysabella Herrera says the school’s rigorous curriculum led to its being so highly honored.

“That put us over the top,” she said. It’s what we offer here. We offer a lot of advanced placement (AP) classes in our curriculum. It’s unique to Broward County.”

She added that colleges are aware when a high school is ranked highly. “They look at what the high school is offering.”

The U.S. News Best High Schools rankings include data on nearly 25,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Almost 18,000 schools were ranked based on six factors: their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college.

Millennium 6-12 Collegiate Academy had 243 students enrolled, a graduation rate of 100 percent, and a college readiness score of 97.7 percent according to U.S. News & World Report.

Marlene Wright, the guidance counselor, mentioned that Millennium is one of the two schools in its district that allows students to earn an associate’s degree before college. The school offers 13 AP courses this year, but it’s likely to increase to 14 next year. AP classes provide students with challenging college-level coursework while still in high school.

Students who earn an associate’s degree in their school usually attend college and graduate after two years, as per Wright.

Harrigan describes it as a tremendous honor to be rated so highly. “We knew our program ranked No. 1,” he said, “not just No. 1 in the tri-county, but No. 2 in all of Florida.”

Harrigan’s students are well aware of the honor bestowed upon their school. “We had a small celebration last week. We had a pep rally and gave the kids treats,” he said, adding that in June—after the May standardized testing is completed—a larger celebration is planned to give them a chance to be recognized for the hard work they put in.

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Martin Lenkowsky

Martin Lenkowsky moved to Coral Springs from NYC in 1982. He has a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College. He has been both writer and editor for a number of South Florida publications since 1983. He considers features writing his specialty.