Anne Watson Elementary AND Bigelow High School are proud to be recognized as Arkansas Gem Schools for the 2025-2026 school year, an honor awarded this week by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) to schools demonstrating exceptional achievement, strong academic growth, and sustained improvement for students.
This year, ADE released the official 2025–2026 school and district letter grades, along with the first‐ever Arkansas Gem School awards. Through this program, the state is awarding $7 million to schools like ours that are leading the way in student performance. Gem Schools are identified for excellence in one or more areas, including:
● Exceptional Achievement: high levels of student performance
● Strong Academic Growth: students making significant year‐over‐year gains
● Sustained Improvement: consistent progress over multiple years
● Combined Excellence: strength across several measures of school success
WHAT "A GEM" OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT WE HAVE IN BIGELOW! Go Panthers!
