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Fort Thomas Independent Schools, a recognized leader in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area and in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is the top-ranked district in Kentucky under the state’s assessment program. Additionally, the district is rated as a “District of Distinction” by the Kentucky Department of Education for the third consecutive year, and four of its five schools have been named as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. The district includes Robert D. Johnson Elementary School, Ruth Moyer Elementary School, Samuel Woodfill Elementary School, Highlands Middle School and Highlands High School. Fort Thomas Independent Schools value rigorous curriculum standards, exceptional parental involvement and community support plus excellence in extracurricular activities.
Fort Thomas Independent Schools Education Facts
(Data from current school year unless otherwise noted)
Number of schools in the district: 5 (1 high; 1 middle; 3 elementary)
Enrollment: 3,153
Number of teachers: 194
Number of School Counselors: 9
Percentage of teachers with master’s degree: 91.7%
Student to Teacher Ratio: 16:1
Ethnicity of students:
- White – 90.3%
- Hispanic/Latino – 3%
- American Indian/Alaska Native - < .1%
- Asian – 1.4%
- Black/African American – 1%
- Hawaiian/Pacific Islander – < .1%
- Two or More Races – 4.1%
District's per Pupil Spending (2019-20 Data): $11,357
Length of school year: 177 instructional days
Attendance rate (2020-21): 96.9%
Graduation rate (2021): 96.5
Number of Merit Semifinalists (2020-21): 3
Number of Advanced Placement classes offered: 25
Advanced Placement Pass Rate (2020-21): 71%
Percentage of Post-Secondary Ready Graduates (2020-21): 86.8%
Number of gifted/talented children grades 4-12: 361
Number of primary talent pool grades K-3: 63
Number of Preschool students: 57
Number of Special Education students: 236
Number of Tuition Students: 180
Tuition Costs for 2021-22
· Grades 1-12: ADA Contract - $1,750; No ADA Contract - $5,500
· Kindergarten Full Day: ADA Contract - $4,150; No ADA Contract - $5,500
Percentage of classrooms with Internet access: 100%
• Niche.com named Fort Thomas Independent Schools as the “Best Public School District in Kentucky.” The district was rated with an A+ overall grade. Additionally, Niche.com rated FTIS as the #173 best school district in America (out of 10,760).
• Cincy Magazine named Highlands High School the #1 school in Northern Kentucky, based on state rankings, ACT scores and extracurricular accolades.
• Highlands High School was named one of “America’s Best High Schools” by the U.S. News & World Report “America’s Best High Schools” report, receiving a Gold Medal designation, ranking 2nd in Kentucky (non-magnet) and 422nd nationally.
• Forbes.com named Fort Thomas Independent Schools as one of the top 25 public school districts in the country.
• The Fort Thomas Independent Schools achieves high test scores and annually ranks as one of Kentucky’s highest performing kindergarten through twelfth grade public school districts. FTIS scores at or above the highest-scoring nations on the OECD (PISA) assessment.
• The average combined Junior ACT score is 22.2, as compared to the state average of 18.1.
• Seventy-one percent of all Advanced Placement (AP) examinations taken by students in the Fort Thomas Independent Schools results in a passing score of 3 or higher.
• Four of the five schools in the district have been named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
• Highlands High School has been a High Schools that Work Gold Achievement School.
• The FTIS earned highest level performance on Cognia accreditation, scoring a 387.42 out of 400.
