Happy New Year! Yes, 2020 is finally over.
This year probably won’t top anyone’s list of favorites, but in the midst of all the pandemic gloom a few bright spots continued to glow. Although it was not business as usual by any standard, Wyoming can nonetheless look back proudly at how we as a community stood together to fight off an unseen enemy and support our friends and neighbors during this unprecedented time.
Amidst all the chaos that has marked 2020, Wyoming still stood out in the eyes of others as a great place to live and go to school, as it once again accumulated an impressive array of accolades.
As we close out the year, let’s look back at some of the good things said about our community to remind us that there are positive notes to reflect on – even in a year like 2020.
- Wyoming was rated No. 76 among all suburbs in the U.S. by Niche.com for its overall livability based on cost of living, safety, diversity, economic growth, and school quality, among other factors. Niche.com gave Wyoming City Schools an A+ and ranked it 3rd in the state and No. 64 in the country. Each school building earned an A or A+, based on test scores, survey responses, and more.
- Wyoming High School was ranked No. 3 in the Cincinnati metro area, No. 6 in the state and No. 228 nationally by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings were based on performance on state-required tests, graduation rates, and how well students were prepared for college.
- AreaVibes, which rates cities for overall quality of life, scored Wyoming 91 out of 100 for livability, an A+. The score is based on amenities, housing quality, cost of living, safety, economic strength, schools, and resident feedback.
- Wyoming City Schools spent 76.9 percent of funds on classroom instruction, ranking the district No. 1 when compared to other districts of similar size, according to the 2020 Ohio Department of Education report card. Academic grades or ratings were not reported in 2020 because of limited data due to the pandemic.
- The City was honored as a Tree City USA for the 26th consecutive year based on four standards of urban forestry selected by the Arbor Day Foundation.
- Wyoming earned the 2020 Best City Waste Diversion Rate in Hamilton County. The City diverted more waste than any other small city in the county, keeping more than 2,700 tons of waste out of the landfill in 2019, the most recent year used to calculate the award, a diversion rate of 50.5 percent.
- The Wyoming community and its schools were recognized as one of the 2020 Best Communities for Music Education. The award, from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, recognizes the commitment of school administrators, community leaders, teachers, and parents who work to ensure music is part of a well-rounded education for all children.
