Seventeen area schools rated as 4 star

By Jim Chapman | The Journal Gazette

Seventeen area schools were among 234 in Indiana named Four Star Schools for the 2017-18 school year.

The list, released Friday by the Indiana Department of Education, includes 13 schools from Allen County. Schools from all four of the county's public school districts earned the distinction, the state said.

Created in 1988 by the Department of Education, the Four Star School Award has been in existence nearly 30 years and signifies a pursuit of academic excellence among both the students and the administration of a school, the Department of Education said in a statement.

To receive a Four Star designation, a school must receive an A on the state's A-F accountability system and have excellent ISTEP+ pass rates, the state said.

Area schools that made the list:

East Allen County Schools – Cedarville and Leo elementaries and Leo Junior-Senior High School. For Cedarville, this is the 13th straight year it has made the list. “The Cedarville family is continuing to tenaciously hold fast to our commitment to excellence, thereby allowing our school to rank among the best of the best,” Principal Bradley R. Bakle said.

Southwest Allen County Schools – Homestead High School and Summit and Woodside middle schools.

Northwest Allen County Schools – Carroll High School and Maple Creek Middle School. “We are proud of the achievements of all our students in all of our schools,” Lizette Downey, chief communications officer at NACS, said. 

Fort Wayne Community Schools – Croninger Elementary. “Meeting the requirements is not easy, and Croninger staff and families should celebrate their accomplishments,” FWCS spokeswoman Krista Stockman said.

Blackhawk Christian Elementary, Concordia High School, Bishop Dwenger High School and St. Vincent DePaul School, all in Fort Wayne; St. Joseph School in Garrett; East Noble High School in Kendallville; St. Mary Elementary in Avilla; and Adams Central High School in Monroe also earned the distinction.