10/13/11 – Two Beaver Dam schools were among 118 public schools statewide that were honored yesterday (Wed) for overcoming poverty to achieve higher-than-average performance. A ceremony hosted by the Department of Public Instruction at the State Capitol honored the “Wisconsin Schools of Recognition.” For the third year in a row, South Beaver Dam Elementary was acknowledged while Lincoln Elementary earned the honor for the first time this year. Superintendent Steve Vessey says it’s a credit to the teachers, staff, students and parents in the schools and he also says it’s a positive reflection of the district as a whole. Criteria for the selection included poverty rates as defined by free and reduced lunch data and the results of standardized tests in reading and math. They’ve also made progress in their performance over the past two years, despite having the highest poverty rates in Wisconsin. Each school gets $5000 to use on any school-related activities.
