Six Rutherford County schools and two Murfreesboro City schools were named "Reward Schools" by the Tennessee Department of Education, which means they scored in the top 5% in either achievement or the top 5% in growth in student gains. The announcement was made on Monday.
Only 169 schools in the Tennessee earned the distinction. The schools will receive a cash prize from the state, but the exact amount has not been released yet.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman made the announcement Monday in Brentwood.
The Reward Schools are spread across 70 districts, located in major cities as well as rural areas, and 102 of the recognized schools serve mostly economically disadvantaged populations.