Mt. Hall among top three schools in Idaho

Mt. Hall Elementary has been named one of Idaho’s top three schools among the state’s 650.

“It was great to be recognized and that the staff was recognized for a job well done,” said Mt. Hall Principal Angela Armstrong.

The Idaho Department of Education for a second year in a row honored Mt. Hall as a Distinguished School. Webster Elementary in Lewiston School District is the only other school to receive the honor for two consecutive years.

“They are some of the absolute finest schools in the state,” said Mark Browning, communications officer for Idaho Department of Education in Boise.

The other school named a Distinguished School was Trail Wind Elementary in Boise School District.

Browning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, will present the award to Mt. Hall. The presentation is open to the public.

Mt. Hall received the honor after its students in third- through sixth-grades met Adequate Yearly Progress on their Idaho Student Achievement Tests in reading, math and language arts. That means students for a third year in a row were proficient in 41 areas on the tests given in the fall and spring.

Armstrong attributes the students’ success to a lot of hard work and dedication and excellent participation by parents.

“It was great to be recognized,” she said.

“I’m just thrilled,” said Dr. Don Bartling, superintendent for Boundary County School District. “They join an elite group. They really have done an outstanding job, having shown significant improvement and made a significant achievement.”

Mt. Hall last year was among seven schools to be recognized for meeting AYP for two years in a row. The tests are given as part of federal legislation known as No Child Left Behind.