NORWAY, Mich. (WZMQ) – A Dickinson County School District is standing out yet again for its exceptional student test scores. The Norway-Vulcan Area School District, in particular, is basking in the limelight as it has been bestowed the prestigious title of a Blue-Ribbon School, an honor only granted upon around 9,000 schools of over a hundred thousand nationwide. The honor is awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.
The school’s recognition stems from its outstanding test scores from the previous year, and what’s even more astonishing is that they have already surpassed their own record since then. According to the Superintendent, this coveted award can only be claimed by a school once every five years, making this achievement even more significant.
The school’s Superintendent, Lou Steigerwald, expressed his gratitude, stating, “None of this happens without really great staff and families. And so, I’m really thankful to our staff, and I’m really thankful to our families for trusting us to educate their kids. It’s a really big deal. Up until today, only one other school had gotten this award since 1982.”
Principal Rico Meneghini explained the recognition to the students, who cheered in amazement at an assembly held around noon today. “You’ll see this symbol everywhere,” he explained about the U.S. Department of Education’s emblem inscribed on the giant banner that stood onstage in the school auditorium. “That’s how incredible of an achievement this is,” he explained as inquiring students raised their hands.
“We’ve invested in new resources for teachers, we work with the teachers to pick those. We let them pick the resources because they know what works best for them. And then the board and I went to work getting those things for them,” Steigerwald added.
As a testament to their accomplishment, the school will be attending a National Award Ceremony later this fall, celebrating this prestigious honor. Stay tuned for more on Norway-Vulcan’s remarkable achievement tonight at 11/10 Central.
For more information about Norway-Vulcan Schools test score progress, see WZMQ’s recent report here: