Two Athens schools received special recognition and rewards this week for exceptional performance.

Athens Elementary School received $15,000 for being named a “Torchbearer School” and for meeting Adequate Yearly Progress standards two years in a row under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Principal Ronnie Poole accepted the reward on behalf of the school.

Athens High School received $5,000 for “Exceeding the Challenge” in scoring proficient in reading and math. The award goes to a school with a subgroup in which the percent of students scoring proficient in reading and math exceeded its state counterpart. Principal Chris Bolen accepted the reward on behalf of the school.

“I commend all of our principals, teachers, students … for all their hard work this past year in helping us meet all of our adequate progress goals,” Superintendent Orman Bridges said during the regular school board meeting Thursday.

All of the Athens city schools met all of the Adequate Yearly Progress goals for the 2005-2006 school year. Athens High and Athens Elementary received special recognition. The state board of education uses the Adequate Yearly Progress measure to evaluate the progress of schools.

“This marks the first time since No Child Left Behind Adequate Yearly Progress Accountability has been in place that all of our schools have met all of the required goals in the same year, ” Bridges said. “I would, however, like to point out that all of our elementary schools have met all of their goals every year since we’ve had adequate yearly progress accountability.”