Lake County Gazette

135 students from Stevenson High School have been named Semifinalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These students are among more than 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors who began the process by taking the 2024 PSAT/NMSQT.

The Stevenson community congratulated the group of Semifinalists. "The entire Stevenson community extends a proud congratulations to this distinguished group of Semifinalists," according to a statement from the school.

These students will now compete for approximately 6,930 National Merit Scholarships valued at nearly $26 million, which will be awarded next spring. About 95 percent of Semifinalists are expected to reach Finalist status and remain eligible for several scholarship opportunities.

"We wish all 135 Semifinalists the very best as they continue this rigorous competition," the school stated. "Congratulations once again to these exceptional scholars!"

Stevenson High School is part of Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125, which serves Lake County. The district has a diverse student population: about 53 percent White, 2 percent Black, nearly 8 percent Hispanic, and over 34 percent Asian, according to data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). More information about the district's demographics can be found on its Illinois Report Card profile: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/

The district employs 282 teachers with an average salary of $104,821 before pension contributions; nearly 60 percent are women and just over 40 percent are men. ISBE reports that none of these teachers had more than ten absences in a school year. Details about teacher staffing and salaries are available here: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/

Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125 spent $34,508 per student in fiscal year 2020, totaling $147 million in expenditures for that year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

Stevenson’s strong showing in national academic competitions continues to reflect both student achievement and ongoing investment in education within the district.