The Wenatchee School District is proud to announce that two of its schools have been named to the 2026 Washington School Recognition Program — an honor received by only 16% of public schools across the state this year.

The annual program, operated by the Washington State Board of Education in collaboration with OSPI and the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee, recognizes schools that demonstrate exceptional progress in key areas of student success.

Sunnyslope Elementary School has been recognized for Achievement in ELA and Math. Schools earning this award are among the highest-performing in Washington, consistently demonstrating strong results across multiple measures including English Language Arts and math proficiency.

Foothills Middle School has been recognized in the Closing Gaps: Targeted category. Schools earning this award were previously identified for additional support and have since made meaningful improvement — including gains across key measures and reduced performance gaps for student groups.

This marks the second straight year both schools have earned state recognition. In 2025 Sunnyslope Elementary and Foothills Middle School were both recognized for Closing Achievement Gaps — a category highlighting significant progress for specific student groups. Sunnyslope was noted for remarkable gains among low-income students and students with special education needs, while Foothills was recognized for significant growth in supporting low-income students.

Sunnyslope Elementary's excellence extends beyond the state level. The school was recently ranked #59 on the U.S. News & World Report list of the 100 Best Elementary Schools in Washington — making it the second-highest-ranked elementary school in Eastern Washington.

"We are incredibly proud of both schools and the students, staff, and families who made this possible," said Superintendent Kory Kalahar. "Back-to-back recognition is a reflection of the consistent, meaningful work happening every day in our classrooms and our shared commitment to every student's unlimited success."

Both schools will receive recognition banners as part of the statewide program. This year, 379 public schools across 150 Washington school districts were recognized. Learn more at sbe.wa.gov/school-recognition.