Clark Fork High School earns national recognition

CLARK FORK — High school administrators and teachers are celebrating another year at the top of their game.

For the fifth year in a row, Clark Fork High School has made the prestigious U.S. News and World Report list of top schools in the nation. A news magazine particularly famous for its rankings of educational institutions, U.S. News and World Report staff awarded the school a bronze rating for its history of academic achievement.

“It’s always very interesting from year to year to see if we’re going to be on the list again,” Principal Phil Kemink said. “For everyone here at the school, it’s very exciting to see it recognized on a national level.”

Although Clark Fork High School, with its 121 students, is quite small compared to average state enrollment, the administration and teaching staff don’t want that to limit post-graduation opportunities. Kemink said that dedication to their students’ quality of learning has helped them edge out schools many times their size.

“I think our success is highly dependent on the staff at our school,” Kemink said. “We bend over backwards to help these kids and have a great rapport with them.”

While making the bronze list every year is far from a sure bet, Kemink would still like to do better. To reach the even greater heights of a silver or gold medal, Clark Fork High School will need to offer more chances for college preparation and readiness. According to Kemink, the school aims to do just that, with plans in place to have 20 face-to-face dual credit classes available next year. That will build on the school’s current platter of college preparation offerings — a mix of face-to-face and online classes — that will allow one student this year to graduate with 38 credits of college work already complete.

“Every year, we’re trying to offer more and more advanced opportunities,” Kemink said.

However, the bronze award is not shabby by any stretch of the imagination. It recognizes Clark Fork High School as a high performer compared to the Idaho state average. U.S. News and World Report staff inspect standardized test results to determine which schools earn those medals. The honor is a significant one. Only 13 percent of schools nationwide are recognized with a bronze medal. By comparison, seven percent and two percent of U.S. schools earn silver and gold status, respectively.

Throughout Idaho, 40 schools have received the bronze award this year. Meanwhile, five schools earned a silver medal, and only two in the entire state made gold. Clark Fork High School is ranked 12th on the list of Idaho schools available on the U.S. News and World Report website. Kemink and the rest of the Clark Fork High School staff are eager to see if they can improve their placement next year.

“It’s like a big pat on the back for a job well done,” Kemink said.