Wenatchee principals honored for growth in low‑income and special‑education students

The Wenatchee School District Board of Directors recognized Sunnyslope Elementary School and Foothills Middle School for measurable student growth during the 2023–24 school year, district leaders said during the board’s “Bright Spots” segment.

The recognition comes from the Washington State School Recognition Program and highlights Foothills for academic growth among low‑income students and Sunnyslope for growth among students with low socioeconomic status and students receiving special‑education services.

District leaders said closing achievement gaps required “intentional, strong tier 1 academic support” plus tier 2 and tier 3 interventions. Principal Craig Allen accepted the Foothills recognition and Superintendent Corey (last name not specified) noted the schools’ work amid schedule changes last year. Principal Lance Young, representing Sunnyslope, said the school focuses on reviewing resources and staffing to maximize student support. “We’re constantly analyzing all the resources and staffing we have and analyzing are we best using them and leveraging them to serve our kids,” Young said.

Allen described the district’s use of student data to shape interventions. “It is the flexible use of data in response to the data, getting to know the students across the board, their personal needs, their home needs, their academic needs, and being flexible and creative with how we’re using staffing to address those needs,” he said.

Board members applauded the schools and noted the recognition underscores district priorities to close achievement gaps. The board did not take any formal action related to the recognitions during the meeting.

The awards were described as based on data from the 2023–24 school year; no additional performance metrics or state evaluation documents were presented at the meeting.