“This is another one of the many recognitions that Belton New Tech High School @Waskow has received,” Belton Independent School District spokesman Kyle DeBeer said at a recent board meeting. “The bronze medal is awarded to a small group of schools that U.S. News & World Report selects as representing the best high schools in the nation.”

Randy Pittenger, president of the BISD board of trustees, congratulated New Tech on the award.

This year, four of the top spots on the list went to schools in Arizona, three of them BASIS charter schools.

“It is critical that students graduate from high school to put them on a successful path to college and a career,” Anita Narayan, education editor at U.S. News, said in a news release. “We encourage parents to use the data included in the 2017 Best High Schools rankings to help make informed decisions about their children’s education.”

The U.S. News rankings attempt to judge public schools on how they serve all their students, including those with disadvantages. The rankings emphasize graduation rates and other outcomes, such as state standardized tests.

“Research has shown that students exposed to a more diverse high school curriculum are better equipped for college success,” data strategist Robert Morse said in a release. “U.S. News is rewarding schools that make an effort to challenge their students in a broad range of subjects.”

The Best High Schools list recognizes schools with gold, silver and bronze medals. Gold medals indicate the highest level of college readiness. Maryland, Florida and California have the highest percentage of gold and silver medal schools.