Two South Knoxville schools were recognized Thursday for their excellence before the Carter-South Doyle football game.
South-Doyle Middle and Gap Creek Elementary schools got some appreciation for being named "reward schools" for the state of Tennessee. They are in the top five percent for the state in academic achievement or academic progress.
This year, the state board of education designated 169 schools as reward schools, and 10 were here in Knox County.
Dr. McIntyre says we finally have a list that educators want to be on.
"In the past, the state has had these lists of schools, but they were always lists you didn't want to be on. They were schools that needed improvement and things like that. They've added this new category of reward schools. This is a list schools want to be on, and I think it's a great incentive," he said.
The other eight area reward schools include Bearden, Carter, Corryton, Ritta, Sequoyah and Shannondale elementaries, Whittle Springs Middle School, and Powell High School.