Out of only ten schools across the entire state of Utah recognized as 2025–2027 National PTA Schools of Excellence, five belong to Alpine School District.
The five recognized schools are:
Central Elementary School
Fox Hollow Elementary School
Oak Canyon Junior High School
Orchard Elementary School
Saratoga Shores Elementary School
Building Community Through Data-Driven Engagement
The National PTA School of Excellence program recognizes PTAs that build strong family-school partnerships through a data-driven, five-step process. Out of 321 schools nationwide and only 10 across the entire state of Utah, ASD represents half of the state's total honorees.
Utah PTA President Julie Cluff praised the achievement and highlighted the core mission of the program.
"School of Excellence is a National PTA program, and it's designed to help PTAs connect their communities to their schools," Cluff said. "It works around the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships—things like welcoming, improving communication, and helping parents learn to advocate. It's just a great way to make it easier for families to connect to schools, and we know that when families and schools are connected together, our kids do better."
While the designation lasts for two years, schools can reapply annually to set new goals—a process Cluff describes as an ongoing guide for long-term growth. "Once you get started and kind of work out how to do it, it really is a roadmap," Cluff said. "They give you ideas on your specific goals and give you tips and tricks to help you be successful. Who doesn't want help in all the things that we want to do anyway?"
Celebrating Success at Orchard Elementary
While all five schools deserve districtwide recognition, Orchard Elementary recently held a special community celebration to unveil their official national banner and honor the team behind the achievement.
"Our biggest focus was on communication," said Stephanie Savage, Orchard PTA President. "We found after getting a lot of parental feedback that parents and families want great opportunities for their kids, but most of all, they want a place of belonging. We believe that having connected parents means having connected students."
To achieve their goals, Orchard’s PTA took concrete steps: launching eight new student clubs, connecting over half the school on a parent communication app, doubling total PTA membership, and achieving 100% faculty participation.
Parents as Partners in Alpine School District
Reflecting on the broader impact across the district, Eric Woodhouse, ASD Associate Superintendent, emphasized the lasting value of these parent-led efforts. Woodhouse served as principal at the very first Utah school to earn the designation 15 years ago.
"Strong partnerships with parents through the PTA increase the social capital of a school community, and I have witnessed firsthand the remarkable things that can happen for students and schools when that social capital is strong," Woodhouse said. "The real value of the School of Excellence program isn't simply in earning the designation, but in building the relationships, trust, and shared commitment that make lasting school improvement possible."
By empowering parents as partners, Alpine School District continues to foster connected communities where students, families, and educators thrive together.