Two school districts in west central Minnesota were honored Thursday for exceeding community expectations despite facing adversity.
Renville County West and Paynesville Area school districts received an "Award for Excellence" honor Thursday from U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn.
Both districts certainly are worthy of the honor. Both have been faced budget challenges in recent years forcing tough decisions.
RCW and Paynesville are great examples of the excellence that districts can achieve despite the tough challenges that come their way.
RCW has been forced through a series of consolidations in recent decades as student enrollment continued to decline. Those same enrollment declines accelerated budget challenges at the same time that cuts in state and federal funding occurred.
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Despite the declining enrollment and budget challenges, RCW has achieved a steady improvement in student test scores and other measures of achievement.
RCW improved its offering to the district's families, including introducing all-day kindergarten and a transitional reading classroom.
Through all the changes and challenges, RCW kept its focus on the importance of academics and keeping good teachers.
Paynesville has faced some of the same declining enrollment and funding challenges. The district has also continued a good record of improving student achievement and overall academic success.
Both RCW and Payneville are quite deserving of this honor. The residents of both school districts should be proud of their achievements.
