Both local high schools slipped last year, according to an annual ranking of B.C.’s high schools.
The annual Fraser Institute report on B.C. schools placed Chemainus Secondary in 188th place out of 289 schools.
Ladysmith Secondary finished in 209th place.
The Chemainus ranking came from a score of 5.3 out of 10, the school’s worst in the past five years. Chemainus has scored at least a 6.0 in the previous four years and ranked 118 for its five-year average.
Ladysmith, meanwhile, scored a 5.0, its worst score in three years. Its ranking was also below its five-year ranking of 158. It had the third-best public school ranking in the Nanaimo School District, behind Dover Bay and Nanaimo.
As usual, private schools dominated the rankings provincially.
The rankings, compiled annually compare standardized test scores taken by Grade 10 students during the previous school year.
Critics call the report a misuse of data used to discount quality teaching and learning.
Supporters say it is a valuable tool to demonstrate what schools are showing improvement and which ones are falling behind.