Six Kent School District schools have received the 2011 Washington Achievement Award from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington State Board of Education.

The award-winning schools are Kent-Meridian High School, Kent Mountain View Academy, Kent Elementary, Neely-O’Brien Elementary, Sawyer Woods Elementary, and Mattson Elementary.

The Washington Achievement Award celebrates schools for overall excellence and special recognition in language arts, math, science, graduation rate, improvement, and closing achievement gaps, according to a school district media release.

Schools are selected based on their statewide assessment data for the three previous years. Kent Elementary and Kent Mountain View Academy also received the award in 2010.

“This is a tremendous honor for these schools and the students, staff, parents, and community members who work so hard to make success happen each and every day with our students," said Superintendent Edward Lee Vargas. "Last year, Kent School District had two schools earn this award, and now we have six schools earning this prestigious honor.

"This speaks to the determination of our students and staff members to help every child succeed, and shows how the district is making progress to meet our goals set forth in the strategic plan. On behalf of our school board, I congratulate all six of these schools for their wonderful achievements.”

The schools were recognized in the following categories:

Extended Graduation Rate: Kent-Meridian High School and Kent Mountain View Academy.

Overall Excellence: Kent Elementary.

Closing Achievement Gap: Mattson Middle School, Neely-O’Brien Elementary and Sawyer Woods Elementary.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.