Madison High School Awarded $100,000

Madison High School won $100,000 Friday for helping students better prepare for a college education.

The school was awarded the generous donation through the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation’s Go On Challenge.

“I am just way excited,? said Madison High principal Rodger Hampton. ?This is an incredible opportunity to continue to maintain some of the programs we have started and also improve some of the programs we want to do down the road.”

When the Go On Challenge was given in April 2010, Madison High began to make some changes.

“We have worked to improve in every category that the foundation challenged us with,” Hampton said.

The school now mandates sophomores take a college entrance exam (PLAN) and requires all students to attend registration meetings with counselors.

It also added several new AP and dual credit courses.

With $100,000 the school now hopes to offer even more classes.

“This is just a nice pat on the back and a great reward for something we were planning on doing for a long time anyway,? Hampton said. “It gave us the incentive to implement it sooner.?

School board member Tim Anderson said he commends the administrators for taking on the challenge.

“I think it says a lot for our community and the value we place on our kids that go on to continue their education and what it does for society in general,” Anderson said.

“It says our community and our parents are focused on our children’s education and they are asking us as high schools to step up and make that transition from high school to college for their students,? Hampton said.

The ultimate goal of the campaign is to have 60 percent of Idahoans with a degree or certificate by 2020.

For the complete list of winners visit http://www.go-on-idaho.org/.