Eureka Elementary School has received a Board of Education distinguished achievement award, according to a press release from the office of Governor Ralph S. Northam.

According to the release, 15 divisions and 202 schools earned this achievement.

“I am so proud of the successes of all of our schools,” said Superintendent of Charlotte County Schools Dr. Nancy Leonard. “Having a rural school system with all schools accredited is quite a testimony to the hard work and dedication of so many, but when the Governor specifically recognizes a school for its excellence, that is truly an exceptional accomplishment. I am so proud of Eureka Elementary’s outstanding faculty, hard working students, and supportive parents.”

Eureka Elementary School Principal Brian Hamilton said the success of Eureka could be attributed to the hard work of the families served, teachers and students at the school.

“While we are pleased to be recognized, we will continue to strive to improve the educational opportunities that we provide to our students and to work toward helping all students to continue to make academic gains,” said Hamilton.

The award is given to schools that meet all state and federal benchmarks, “and made progress toward the goals of the Governor and the Board of Education,” said the release.

According to the Virginia department of education, the Board of Education distinguished achievement award is one of three awards schools and school divisions can earn based on their performance.

These awards also include the Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence and the Board of Education’s Excellence Award.

In light of the distinguished achievement award, “the criteria for these awards provide short-term and longterm goals for principals, superintendents and communities as they develop the improvement plans all schools must have under the Board of Education’s new accreditation standards,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction James F. Lane in the release. “Congratulations to the students in these divisions and schools and to the dedicated educators who made these successes possible.”

The release said only those schools and school divisions that have met all federal and state accountability requirements for two years in a row are eligible to earn VIP awards.

Additionally, the school or division must not have any significant irregularities in the administering of state assessments, according to the release.