CCSD Elementary School Named a National Distinguished School

A Cherokee County School District school has earned a national honor for academic excellence!

Carmel Elementary School has been honored as a National ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) Distinguished School!  Only two schools in each state are selected for this prestigious annual recognition, which celebrates exceptional academic achievement and strong support for student success.

In Georgia, Title I schools that rank in the top 5% statewide in English Language Arts and Math — based on College and Career Readiness Performance Index Content Mastery scores — are eligible for the recognition.  Out of 93 high-performing schools in Georgia named Title I Distinguished Schools, only two were chosen to represent Georgia as 2025 National ESEA Distinguished Schools.

Carmel ES earned recognition as a Category 1 school, a distinction that highlights the school’s outstanding student performance and impressive academic growth.  This achievement reflects the dedication of Carmel’s students, staff, and community — and showcases the school as one of Georgia’s very best.  The school is led by Principal Lisa Rich and assistant principals, Lea Henderson and Dana Thompkins. 

Schools that achieve this recognition are invited to attend the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators’ annual conference to be formally honored and to participate in professional development sessions focused on further increasing student success.

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