Presidential Award

The Presidential Award for Educational Excellence is a nation-wide program founded in 1983. The program honors students for their achievement and hard work. The program has provided individual recognition from the President of the United States and the U.S. Secretary of Education to those students whose outstanding efforts have enabled them to meet challenging standards of excellence.

To receive the Presidential Award students must earn a 3.5 Grade Point Average for grades 7 AND 8. The student also must score at the 85th percentile or above (national percentile rank) on the eighth grade ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test in ELA or Math.

Students who move in to the district ARE eligible for the Presidential Award since this is a national award. However, they must have earned a 3.5 or above in their previous school.

Academic Awards 2025
2025 Presidential Award for Educational Excellence Recipients
Angel Carrera-Castanon, Catherine Hardon, Karina Lareza, Kendra Svacina, Max Schirmer, Brayden Wiese, Mason Witt

Class of 2029 Presidential Award Recipients

Academic Awards

Each graded class at the Middle School has criteria for students to earn an Academic Award. These criteria are posted on websites and shared with students at the beginning of the year. Classes include the special education supplemental classes as well as alternate math and literacy classes. This does not include Life Skills, ELL Newcomers class, or intervention classes.

Teachers consider the following guidelines in determining awards:

  1. Criteria does NOT include a behavioral component (e.g. no office visits)
  2. Criteria does NOT include an attendance component (e.g. no absences or tardies)
  3. Criteria DOES include something a step above achieving an "A" in the class.

Students can earn multiple bronze awards, but only receive one medal. Students are given certificates for each class in which they were awarded a bronze.

  • Fifth grade core class criteria can be found here.
  • Sixth grade core class criteria can be found here.
  • Seventh grade core class criteria can be found here.
  • Eighth grade core class criteria can be found here.
  • Fifth & sixth grade exploratory class criteria can be found here.
  • Seventh & eighth grade exploratory class criteria can be found here.