Two South Dakota schools have been recognized as National Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Distinguished Schools. The Timber Lake and Ethan elementary schools earned the honor based on the outstanding academic achievement of their students. Ethan has an attendance rate of 97 percent, while Timber Lake’s attendance rate is 99 percent. State Education Secretary Dr. Joe Graves says students at both schools significantly outperformed the state average proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA), math and science for the 2023-24 school year. He says students at Timber Lake Elementary were 71 percent proficient in ELA, 75 percent proficient in math and 65 percent proficient in science. Ethan Elementary’s proficiencies were 69 percent, 78 percent and 79 percent, respectively. The National Association of Elementary and Secondary Education Act State Program Administrators sponsors the Distinguished Schools Program to recognize schools that: have a poverty rate of 35 percent or higher demonstrate exceptional overall performance in academics close the achievement gap between student groups or demonstrate excellence in serving special populations