Kansas State Board of Education
TOPEKA — The Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force has named 92 schools as recipients of the 2021 Challenge Awards.
The awards recognize Kansas schools that are making a notable difference in student achievement despite facing significant challenges in their school population. Since its inception in 2002, more than 1,800 awards have been presented to schools across the state.
Certificates of Merit will be presented to schools by Kansas State Board of Education members.
The Challenge Award recognizes schools for outstanding achievement and uncommon accomplishments based on Kansas Assessment results in math and reading, graduation rates, chronic absenteeism rates and the socio-economic status of those taking the test.
The Confidence in Public Education Task Force is a nonprofit corporation whose primary purpose is to strengthen confidence in Kansas public education and to increase awareness of the positive aspects of public education in the state. The Task Force was created in 1981.
Members of the Task Force include American Association of University Women; Kansas PTA; Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB); Kansas National Education Association (KNEA); Kansas State Board of Education; Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHAA); Kansas Partners in Education; League of Women Voters – Kansas; and United School Administrators of Kansas (USA-Kansas).
Area schools receiving a 2021 Challenge Award are:
- Central Plains Junior-Senior High School, Central Plains USD 112.
- Golden Plains Middle School, Golden Plains USD 316.
- Great Bend High School, Great Bend USD 428.
- Park Elementary School, Great Bend USD 428.
- Riley Elementary School, Great Bend USD 428.
- Grinnell Middle School, Grinnell USD 291.
- Lincoln Elementary School, Hays USD 489.
- Healy Elementary School, Healy USD 468.
- Thunder Ridge Middle School, Thunder Ridge USD 110.