NEW YORK, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Tuesday a Georgia school district has won the prestigious $1 million Broad Prize.
The prize went to Gwinnett County Public Schools and will be used to provide college scholarships for some of the district's graduating seniors from the Class of 2011.
The annual Broad Prize is awarded by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and goes to U.S. urban school systems that demonstrate strong student performance and narrow the achievement gap among ethnic and income-based groups.
"Gwinnett County has demonstrated that an unwavering focus across a school system … can lead to steady student improvement and achievement," Duncan said in making the announcement in New York City. "Districts across the country should look to Gwinnett County as an example of what is possible when adults put their interests aside and focus on students."
More than half of the students in Gwinnett County, which is located outside Atlanta, are Hispanic or African-American, the foundation said in a written statement. About half of the students are eligible for federal lunch programs.
Four other districts in the pool of contestants received $250,000 scholarship awards: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina, Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, and the Socorro and Ysleta independent districts in Texas
