Hebron, Finley-Sharon Schools Honored for Academic Growth

North Dakota School Superintendent Levi Bachmeier is celebrating national recognition for elementary schools in the Hebron and Finley-Sharon school districts, which have been recognized for exceptional student performance and academic growth during the past two years.

The schools are receiving Distinguished Schools Awards from the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators, which is made up of state school officials who administer federal education aid programs. For Finley-Sharon, it is the second straight year of being named as a distinguished school.

Both Hebron Elementary and Finley-Sharon Elementary have been in the top 10 percent of achievement scores in mathematics and English/language arts during the past two years. Hebron has 86 students in grades K-6; Finley-Sharon has 75 students in grades preK-6.

Jeff Larson, principal of Finley-Sharon Elementary, attributed the school’s success to “our teachers and support staff working diligently each day to make all students better. Each day we work to meet the needs of every child.”

“This commitment to each student increases their chances to become the best version of themselves,” Larson said. “They feel they can be successful because their education is valued and students feel valued.”

Jennifer Hosman, principal of Hebron Elementary, said decisions in her school focus on, “What is best for the kids?”

“Our school is a positive place to teach in and that trickles down to the students,” she said. “We support our teachers in every way possible so that they can focus on the most important task, the students.”

Both principals lauded the role of federal education aid in helping their students, saying it was used for teacher professional development, more intensive student instruction, books and materials, and other benefits.

Bachmeier is visiting Hebron Elementary on Wednesday to celebrate the school’s achievement. He is visiting Finley-Sharon March 13.

Each year, each state education department may nominate two schools for consideration as distinguished schools. They must have at least 35 percent of their students in low-income families and show high academic achievement for two or more consecutive years.

ESEA stands for Elementary and Secondary Education Act, a 1965 federal law that is periodically updated by Congress. Its current version is called the Every Student Succeeds Act.  It is the primary federal law that benefits K-12 education.

The federal law provides money for schools that have high numbers of students from low-income families and requires states to develop plans to ensure accountability for student performance.