Saluda Elementary School was chosen Thursday as one of two schools to represent North Carolina at the 2017 National Title I Conference in Long Beach, Calif.

The North Carolina National Title I Distinguished Schools Selection Committee announced at a ceremony in Greensboro that Saluda Elementary would represent the state in the category of high performance and vie for the National Title I Distinguished Schools Award. Schools nominated for the high performance award must excel for two or more consecutive years to be considered.

Two other Polk County elementary schools – Polk Central Elementary and Tryon Elementary – were also nominated, with all three schools eligible to compete in both the high performance and high progress categories. Union Elementary School in Wingate, N.C. was named the state representative in the high progress category.

The national winners will be announced during the conference in Long Beach set for Feb. 22-25.

“The winner in Category I (high performance) is doing great things to increase student achievement by implementing the A+ Arts program and creating C4C, which stands for a Community for Children,” said Donna Brown, director of Program Monitoring and Support Services for the North Carolina Department of Instruction.

“C4C pairs students with a caring, community mentor who provides weekly tutoring and guidance in areas of need and special interest. The school has served as a regional model for both programs. The school exemplifies what is meant when we say, ‘a good school must address the needs of the whole child’ to be truly effective. Congratulations to Saluda Elementary School and the Polk County Title I program.”

– article submitted by PolkStudents.com