Previous studies by US News calculate Orono High School to be the second best ranked school in the state of Minnesota and no. 249 in the nation. With the gold medal award, Orono students are recognized with great honors in the eyes of the public.

From US News rankings, rivals schools like seventh in state Minnetonka and 18th Wayzata were no match for Orono. The only school to shine above OHS is Math and Science Academy, located in Woodbury, Minnesota.

Orono High School is not far behind the charter school, Math and Science Academy. Orono having a 97% graduation rate and M&S with only a 91%, the school districts are a closely matched.

“I’ve been going to Orono since kindergarden and I have always been really impressed by the great academics Orono offers,” junior Anna Alworth said.

Math and Science Academy out ranks Orono from their high subject proficiency test rankings, which are only less than 7% higher than Orono High School who is measured in the high 80’s.

OHS is located in the heart of Long Lake, Minnesota surrounded by Lake Minnetonka and a close western suburb of Minneapolis. The location of of the Elementary (K-2), Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), and Orono High School (9-12) are all located down the same street, Old Crystal Bay Road.

The close knit school district allows middle school aged students to take high school level classes, right across the street. Classes like Chinese, Physics and higher leveled math are offered to certain students to need an academic challenge that can’t be offered at the middle school.

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“I started taking classes at the High School in 8th grade, I only took 3, but it was a great experience,” junior Sam Cook said.

Today, it is not common for an entire district to be down the same street, let alone each building within walking distance of each other. The Delano School District is the closest district that is clumped together to allow walking distance between each building.

The relationship between faculty and students is a key success factor in order for a high school to obtain or keep a high rank among the public. Many public schools in the area offer a 20:1 student to faculty ratio. Although 3,228 students are enrolled at Wayzata High School, the ratio is still 18:1 to provide the best education possible. With a much smaller size of 938, Orono holds a higher student to faculty ratio of 21:1.

Many different schools across the state follow district mottos that focus a bettering the students and community. The Orono School District wide motto “Where Excellence is a Tradition and a Goal” stands as an important factor that OHS students and staff live by.

“The saying comes from the district and ideas change every year on how we can make Orono better year after year,” vice principal Karen Boyd said.