HOOVER – Hoover City Schools was ranked the fourth best school system in the state by Niche.

Despite the high ranking, HCS Superintendent Kathy Murphy said officials think the system is even better.

“We know we’re No. 1,” Murphy said on Dec. 12 during a meeting of the HCS Board of Education.

Niche ranked Hoover City Schools as No. 5 in Alabama in the category of Best Teachers, No. 1 in Safest Schools Districts, No. 8 in Best School Districts for Athletes, No. 17 in Most Diverse, No. 1 in Best Places to Teach and No. 10 in Largest School Districts.

HCS received an overall grade of A+. Other grades included A+ in academics, teachers, administration, food, college readiness, health and safety, and resources and facilities; A in diversity; A- in sports; and B in clubs and activities.

Grades for Hoover City Schools located in Shelby County include A+ for Berry Middle School, A+ for Greystone Elementary School, A+ for Riverchase Elementary School and A+ for Spain Park High School.

The average graduation rate for the system was listed at 95 percent, with the average SAT score at 1240 and average ACT score at 27.

Reading and math proficiency levels were both reported at 61 percent.

The student/teacher ratio reported was 15:1, better than the national average of 16:1, and the average teacher salary was reported at $54,458.

The full report can be found at K12.niche.com then searching for Hoover City Schools.

According to the website, Niche “has the most comprehensive data available on U.S. public and private K-12 schools and districts.” Niche analyzes data from the U.S. Department of Education and more than 60 million K-12 school reviews and survey responses to help families find the right school for them, according to the website.