DeGette Statement on White House Commencement Challenge Announcement

WASHINGTON – This morning, the White House and Department of Education announced that Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, MI has won the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge and will welcome President Barack Obama as their commencement speaker this spring.

The competition was announced in late February and over one thousand schools submitted applications. Applications were judged based on the schools performance, four essay questions and supplemental data. This resulted in the selection of six semi-finalists. Between April 26th and April 29th, more than 170,000 people voted on the finalists' videos through the White House website. DSST was chosen along with two other finalists, Clark Montessori Junior & Senior High School in Cincinnati, OH, and Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, MI

"Congratulations to Kalamazoo Central High School for their success and having the honor of President Obama addressing their graduating class," Rep. DeGette said. "All of the finalists should be extremely proud for being selected from over one thousand schools nationally. The Denver School of Science and Technology has much to be proud of, and it was inspiring to see the students, teachers, staff and parents come together throughout this process. As states and school districts look for innovative strategies to improve schools, DSST will serve as a powerful example of what a public charter school can accomplish."