Churchill Jr. High School has had a monumental past year. Just recently, at the start of the 2025 academic calendar year, the institution celebrated its sixth decade in operation. The school paid homage to the impressive milestone by throwing an appropriately groovy 1960’s-themed party. Fast forward a few months, and the school is once again celebrating an impressive accomplishment, having been named a National PTA School of Excellence. 

In a press release issued by the school, discussing the news, the following was said: “We are thrilled to share that Churchill Jr. High in Millcreek, Utah, has been recognized as a 2024-2026 National PTA School of Excellence—one of only 330 schools nationwide to receive this prestigious designation.” Churchill celebrated the honor amongst its students with a special assembly, taking place during school hours.

The National PTA School of Excellence recognition is more than just an honor bestowed upon a select handful of schools nationwide (330 schools and corresponding PTAs are awarded, to be exact). Accompanying the recognition is a year-long program that will be integrated into Churchill’s existing policies. A collaborative effort, the program seeks to enrich its recipient schools by opening lines of communication, promoting critical thinking skills, and using data to inform administrative decisions and school policy.  

Per the organization’s website: “School of Excellence is committed to supporting and recognizing partnerships between local PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students.” 

According to the National Parent Teacher Association, a strong PTA presence in a school can lead to a wide variety of benefits such as increased funding and creating strong community ties. PTAs are also at the forefront of many initiatives, often advocating for children at the local and state level. 

The program, like its namesake suggests, is rooted in bringing a familial presence back into schools. Research suggests that increased parental engagement is linked to overall school improvement and student achievement. Furthermore, the awarding of the excellence recognition takes both time and effort on the part of the applicant school. Operating in phases, Churchill would have begun by enrolling and applying for the recognition long before being awarded, spending months compiling data and analyzing community feedback. The next step would have taken several months, as an excellence action plan is drafted and finalized. Finally, once all of the heavy legwork has been completed, the school is able to summarize and reflect on the action plan, before celebrating their acceptance and excellence.

At the time of this article, Churchill had just been announced as a designee for the National PTA School of Excellence 2-year recognition designation. This indicates Churchill’s effective family-school partnership. Enrollment for the 2025-26 designation will occur on Oct. 15, 2026.