Whitewater earns Academic Excellence Award

The Montana High School Association has named the 2020-2021 winners of its NorthWestern Energy Academic Excellence Awards. One academic champion was crowned in each of the four athletic classifications-AA, A, B and C.

Billings Skyview, Billings Central, Huntley Project and Whitewater High Schools were named champions in each of their respective classifications.

The program was initiated in the school year 1988-89.

In making the 2020-21 list, Whitewater High School became the first Phillips County School to receive the award.

"It is a true testament to the hard work and dedication that our students and staff have put into their education." Whitewater School Superintendent Darin Cummings said. "In order to maintain the highest collective GPA in the state, regardless of class, requires a collective effort amongst the student body. We had great senior leadership last year and that trickles down to our lower grades." "I am very proud of this accomplishment for our school."

Winners are determined by averaging the grades earned by students who took part in athletic, music and/or speech/drama programs offered by that school during the 2020-2021 school year. These participating students must have each met a specific criterion to be in the averaging process.

The winners and runners up, their G.P.A., numbers of students averaged, and total enrollments are:

Class AA: Billings Skyview with a GPA of 3.615 amongst of 216 participants from a total enrollment of 1,568 students. Butte was second with a GPA of 3.603 amongst of 255 participants from a total enrollment of 1,287.

Class A: Billings Central with a GPA of 3.449 amongst of 204 participants from a total enrollment of 287 students. Whitefish was second with a GPA of 3.4 amongst 204 participants from a total enrollment of 597 students.

Class B: Huntley Project with a GPA of 3.651 amongst of 113 participants from a total enrollment of 228 students. Jefferson was second with a GPA of 3.624 amongst 150 participants from a total enrollment of 294 students.

Class C: Whitewater had the highest GPA amongst all Montana Schools, a score of 3.907 amongst 10 participants from a total enrollment of 11 students. Plevna was second with a GPA of 3.8 amongst 12 participants from a total enrollment of 24 students.