Tampa, Fla. – (September 19, 2014) – Hillsborough County Public Schools leads the state in the number of National Merit Scholar Semifinalists this year and posted the district’s highest total ever, with 67 students earning the honor.
Hillsborough is the third largest school district in the state, but had more than Miami-Dade and Broward, the state’s two largest districts. Neighboring Pinellas County had 22, Pasco County had 7, and Polk County had 6.
King High School led the way in Hillsborough County, with 20 semifinalists. Hillsborough High School had 11, and Robinson High School had 9. In all, 14 of the 27 public high schools in Hillsborough County were represented on the list.
National Merit Semifinalists represent less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors. To be selected as a semifinalist, a student must have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn an SAT score that confirms the student’s academic achievement. Roughly 1.4 million students across the nation vied for the honor of being among the nation’s most academically talented high school seniors.
“Congratulations to the students and their families – and to their teachers,” said Hillsborough schools Superintendent MaryEllen Elia. “We encourage our students to challenge themselves academically, and this is evidence that even more of our students are achieving at the very highest levels.”
Source: Hillsborough County Pubilc Schools