Two Lexington schools receive Excellence Award

National PTA has marked Veterans Park Elementary and Southern Middle School as 2018-20 Schools of Excellence for their commitment to building an inclusive and welcoming school community where all families contribute to enriching the educational experience and overall well-being for all students.

“Our schools are doing wonderful things, and we will continue to work toward making our schools a great place for families,” said Betsy Waters, who serves as president of both PTA/PTSA chapters.

The School of Excellence program helps chapters identify and implement school improvement initiatives based on PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. Schools that exhibit improvement at the end of the school year are honored as a National PTA School of Excellence, a distinction that spans two years.

Veterans Park and Southern Middle are among 278 designees nationwide, including four in Kentucky.

“(They) have worked hard to strengthen their family-school partnership and create an environment where all families feel welcomed and empowered to support student success,” said Jim Accomando, president of National PTA.

This is the third straight School of Excellence award for Veterans Park.