Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force announces Challenge Award recipients

The Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force has named 185 schools in 98 Kansas public school districts as recipients of the 2018 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, nearly 1,700 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 socioeconomic status of those taking the test. Only schools that have a total percentage of free and reduced-price lunch students above the state average of 46.49 percent are eligible for recognition.

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; Kansas National Education Association; Kansas State Board of Education; Kansas State High School Activities Association; Kansas Partners in Education; League of Women Voters – Kansas; and United School Administrators of Kansas.

For more information about the Challenge Awards program, call Tamla Miller at the Kansas State Department of Education at (785) 296-4950.

For more information about the Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force, call G.A. Buie, chairman of the Task Force, at (785) 232-6566.

Schools receiving a 2018 Challenge Award are:

• Cheylin Junior-Senior High School, Cheylin USD 103

• Rock Hills Junior-Senior High School, Rock Hills USD 107

• Rock Hills Elementary School, Rock Hills USD 107

• Washington County High School, Washington County USD 108

• Belleville East Elementary School, Republic County USD 109

• Thunder Ridge Middle School, Thunder Ridge Schools USD 110

• Doniphan West Elementary School, Doniphan West Schools USD 111

• Central Plains Middle School – Bushton, Central Plains USD 112

• Junction Elementary School, Turner-Kansas City USD 202

• Midland Trail Elementary School, Turner-Kansas City USD 202

• Turner Elementary School, Turner-Kansas City USD 202

• Hugoton Elementary School, Hugoton Public Schools USD 210

• Elkhart Elementary School, Elkhart USD 218

• Linn Elementary School, Barnes-Hanover-Linn USD 223

• Central Elementary School, Olathe USD 233

• Ridgeview Elementary School, Olathe USD 233

• Washington Elementary School, Olathe USD 233

• Westview Elementary School, Olathe USD 233

• Fairview Elementary School, Olathe USD 233

• Indian Trail Middle School, Olathe USD 233

• West Bourbon Elementary School, Uniontown USD 235

• Smith Center Junior-Senior High School, Smith Center USD 237

• Tescott Elementary School, Twin Valley USD 240

• Southeast High School, Southeast-Cherokee USD 247

• Westside Elementary School, Pittsburg USD 250

• Meadowlark Elementary School, Pittsburg USD 250

• Pittsburg Middle School, Pittsburg USD 250

• Northern Heights High School, North Lyon County USD 251

• Hartford Junior-Senior High School, Southern Lyon County USD 252

• Neosho Rapids Elementary School, Southern Lyon County USD 252

• Riverside Elementary School, Emporia USD 253

• South Barber High School, South Barber USD 255

• South Barber Pre-K-6 School, South Barber USD 255

• Lincoln Elementary School, Iola USD 257

• Ortiz Elementary School, Wichita USD 259

• Cloud Elementary School, Wichita USD 259

• Northeast Magnet High School, Wichita USD 259

• East High School, Wichita USD 259

• Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet, Wichita USD 259

• Irving Elementary School, Wichita USD 259

• Woodland Health and Wellness Magnet, Wichita USD 259

• Allison Traditional Magnet Middle School, Wichita USD 259

• Lawrence Elementary School, Wichita USD 259

• Cleaveland Traditional Magnet, Wichita USD 259

• Mayberry Cultural and Fine Arts Magnet Middle School, Wichita USD 259

• Paul B. Cooper Elementary School, Derby USD 260

• Oaklawn Elementary School, Derby USD 260

• Ruth Clark Elementary School K-5, Haysville USD 261

• Oakley Elementary School, Oakley USD 274

• Oakley Middle School, Oakley USD 274

• West Elk High School, West Elk USD 282

• Cedar Vale High School, Cedar Vale USD 285

• Cedar Vale Elementary School, Cedar Vale USD 285

• West Franklin Middle School, West Franklin USD 287

• Central Heights High School, Central Heights USD 288

• Central Heights Elementary School, Central Heights USD 288

• Oakdale Elementary School, Salina USD 305

• Heusner Elementary School, Salina USD 305

• Schilling Elementary School, Salina USD 305

• Salina South Middle School, Salina USD 305

• Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen, Hutchinson USD 308

• Lincoln Elementary School, Hutchinson USD 308

• Hutchinson Middle School, Hutchinson USD 308

• Nickerson Elementary School, Nickerson USD 309

• Fairfield Schools, Fairfield USD 310

• Yoder Charter Elementary School, Haven USD 312

• Haven Middle School, Haven USD 312

• Golden Plains High School, Golden Plains USD 316

• Golden Plains Elementary School, Golden Plains USD 316

• Onaga Senior High School, Onaga-Havensville-Wheaton USD 322

• Glasco Grade School, Southern Cloud USD 334

• Pleasanton High School, Pleasanton USD 344

• Jayhawk Elementary School, Jayhawk USD 346

• St. John Elementary School, St. John-Hudson USD 350

• Macksville High School, Macksville USD 351

• Lincoln Elementary School, Wellington USD 353

• Washington Elementary School, Wellington USD 353

• Wellington Middle School, Wellington USD 353

• Caldwell Secondary School, Caldwell USD 360

• Harper Elementary School, Chaparral Schools USD 361

• Holcomb Elementary School 3-5, Holcomb USD 363

• Yates Center Elementary School, Woodson USD 366

• Montezuma Elementary School, Montezuma USD 371

• Sunset Elementary School, Newton USD 373

• Sublette Middle School, Sublette USD 374

• Southwest Elementary School, Pratt USD 382

• Eureka Junior-Senior High School, Eureka USD 389

• Hamilton High School, Hamilton USD 390

• Osborne Elementary School, Osborne County USD 392

• Robinson Elementary School, Augusta USD 402

• SouthWinds Academy, Otis-Bison USD 403

• Lyons Central Elementary School, Lyons USD 405

• Lyons Middle School, Lyons USD 405

• Chanute High School, Chanute Public Schools USD 413

• Hiawatha Middle School, Hiawatha USD 415

• Prairie Heights Elementary School, Morris County USD 417

• Washington Elementary School, McPherson USD 418

• Osage City Elementary School, Osage City USD 420

• Kiowa County High School, Kiowa County USD 422

• Pike Valley Elementary School, Pike Valley USD 426

• Riley Elementary School, Great Bend USD 428

• Park Elementary School, Great Bend USD 428

• Lincoln Elementary School, Hoisington USD 431

• Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School, Abilene USD 435

• McKinley Elementary School, Abilene USD 435

• Lincoln Memorial Elementary School, Caney Valley USD 436

• Wilroads Gardens Elementary School, Dodge City USD 443

• Northwest Elementary School, Dodge City USD 443

• Soule Elementary School, Dodge City USD 443

• Dodge City Middle School, Dodge City USD 443

• Independence Senior High School, Independence USD 446

• Jefferson Elementary School, Independence USD 446

• Independence Middle School, Independence USD 446

• Thayer Elementary School, Cherryvale USD 447

• Burlingame Junior-Senior High School, Burlingame USD 454

• Burlingame Elementary School, Burlingame USD 454

• Gertrude Walker Elementary School, Garden City USD 457

• Buffalo Jones Elementary School, Garden City USD 457

• Edith Scheuerman Elementary School, Garden City USD 457

• Georgia Matthews Elementary School, Garden City USD 457

• Alta Brown Elementary School, Garden City USD 457

• Victor Ornelas Elementary School, Garden City USD 457

• Florence Wilson Elementary School, Garden City USD 457

• Kenneth Henderson Middle School, Garden City USD 457

• Bernadine Sitts Intermediate Center, Garden City USD 457

• Heller Elementary School, Neodesha USD 461

• Udall Elementary School, Udall USD 463

• Wichita County Junior-Senior High School, Leoti USD 467

• Jefferson Elementary School, Arkansas City USD 470

• Adams Elementary School, Arkansas City USD 470

• Frances Willard Elementary School, Arkansas City USD 470

• Roosevelt Elementary School, Arkansas City USD 470

• Arkansas City Middle School, Arkansas City USD 470

• Dexter High School, Dexter USD 471

• Dexter Elementary School, Dexter USD 471

• Enterprise Elementary School, Chapman USD 473

• Washington Elementary School, Geary County USD 475

• Grandview Elementary School, Geary County USD 475

• Milford Elementary School, Geary County USD 475

• Westwood Elementary School, Geary County USD 475

• Prairie View Elementary School, Liberal USD 480

• Seymour Rogers Middle School, Liberal USD 480

• Southwestern Heights Junior-Senior High School, Kismet-Plains Southwestern Heights USD 483

• Plains Elementary School, Kismet-Plains Southwestern Heights USD 483

• Herington High School, Herington USD 487

• Syracuse High School, Syracuse USD 494

• Pawnee Heights High School, Pawnee Heights USD 496

• Hillcrest Elementary School, Lawrence USD 497

• New York Elementary School, Lawrence USD 497

• Schwegler Elementary School, Lawrence USD 497

• Broken Arrow Elementary School, Lawrence USD 497

• Valley Heights Junior-Senior High School, Valley Heights USD 498

• Liberty Elementary School, Galena USD 499

• Galena Middle School, Galena USD 499

• Sumner Academy of Arts and Science, Kansas City USD 500

• Mark Twain Elementary School, Kansas City USD 500

• Emerson Elementary School, Kansas City USD 500

• Bethel Elementary School, Kansas City USD 500

• William A. White Elementary School, Kansas City USD 500

• Whittier Elementary School, Kansas City USD 500

• McKinley Elementary School, Kansas City USD 500

• Frank Rushton Elementary School, Kansas City USD 500

• Topeka West High School, Topeka USD 501

• McEachron Elementary School, Topeka USD 501

• McCarter Elementary School, Topeka USD 501

• McClure Elementary School, Topeka USD 501

• Whitson Elementary School, Topeka USD 501

• Lowman Hill Elementary School, Topeka USD 501

• Marjorie French Middle School, Topeka USD 501

• Landon Middle School, Topeka USD 501

• Lewis Elementary School, Lewis USD 502

• Parsons Senior High School, Parsons USD 503

• Garfield Elementary School, Parsons USD 503

• Guthridge Elementary School, Parsons USD 503

• Parsons Middle School, Parsons USD 503

• Neosho Heights Elementary School, Oswego USD 504

• St. Paul Middle School, Chetopa-St. Paul USD 505

• Labette County High School, Labette County USD 506

• Mound Valley Grade School, Labette County USD 506

• Bartlett Elementary School, Labette County USD 506

• Satanta Junior-Senior High School, Satanta USD 507

• Comanche Elementary School, Shawnee Mission USD 512

• Crestview Elementary School, Shawnee Mission USD 512

• Roesland Elementary School, Shawnee Mission USD 512

• Nieman Elementary School, Shawnee Mission USD 512