According to rankings published Sept. 29 on Niche’s 2024 roundup of the top school districts in Illinois, District 99 has been ranked number 22 in the top 25. Each school was graded based on nine different criteria and ranked on the feedback they received in each category. 

District 99 offers a variety of classes for every interest. From fine arts to science, District 99 has multiple classes for different subjects and they are available to all students. English Department Chairperson Dr. Christopher Bronke has been teaching at north for 12 years.

 “I have taught both English and Communication I Honors and Senior Composition, and I love them both,” Bronke said. “Getting to share that with students and work with them to develop their writing skills is just a blessing.” 

The average graduation rate of District 99 is 94 percent as of the 2022-2023 school year. The college and career center at DGN and DGS offers different resources for college and standardized testing prep. Senior Ethan Park has taken advantage of many of these opportunities.

 “I have taken advantage of many resources such as prep classes and peer tutoring for the SAT and college apps,” Park said.

Sports and activities contain a large number of the students of DGN and DGS. Offering about 25 sports and about 75 clubs and activities. Activities such as Snowball, a getaway field trip to bond with fellow classmates, and a numerous amount of clubs draw a fair amount of student attention.

 “I would say my favorite thing is all the different sports and clubs that they have to offer because I feel students in this district are very involved at school,” DGS senior Ellery Johnson said. 

One sport in particular that attracts a fair amount of students and staff is football. “I love the whiteout theme,” junior Gili Harris said. “Everyone loves togas.” 

DGN and DGS principals work together to create a district that makes an effort to adhere to the needs of their students and staff. “[Dr. DeMent] and I work closely and collaboratively to lead our teams and schools to be the very best they can be,” DGS Principal Arwen Lyp said. 

Collectively, District 99 earned an A- on the grading scale. “We work as a collaborative team with our Administrative Service Center personnel, our DGN Administration, and our entire staff to ensure that the focus of our work is helping students be the best versions of themselves as they enter their post high school world,” DGN Principal Dr. Courtney DeMent said.