Present students and staff of Valentine Elementary School. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Angle
VALENTINE – Various dignitaries, faculty, students and their families gathered April 16 to celebrate a prestigious award bestowed upon Valentine Elementary School in Truxton. The K-8 school with just above 100 students has been recognized by the National Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Distinguished Schools Program.
“It’s designed to provide funding for economically disadvantaged students,” Valentine School Superintendent Cliff Angle said of the ESEA. He said the school was honored for closing the academic achievement gap between groups of students.
“Valentine Elementary has a very high native American population and we had made significant strides in improving that segment’s scoring year over year,” Angle said. “It’s my understanding that this is the first time any school in Mohave County has earned a national ESEA distinguished school award, so it’s a big deal.”
“This is an honorable distinction for Arizona schools selected as finalists who receive public recognition at the state and national level,” Arizona Department of Education Deputy Superintendent Sarka White said in an award notification letter earlier this year. “Valentine Elementary is one of up to 100 schools throughout the country that is being nationally recognized for exceptional student achievement.”
Angle credited staff and students.
“The students are the ones who showed the improvement that garnered the school the award, so without them there’s nothing,” Angle said. “It’s a great opportunity to celebrate what our students are capable of and what they have been able to demonstrate, and then keep moving that forward.”
Angle said the $10,000 grant that comes with the award will be put to good use. He also said there are future plans to build a new elementary school.
Dave Hawkins
