WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) – Two elementary schools in Wausau are starting the school year with some extra recognition from the state.

State Superintendent Tony Evers has named Grant and Thomas Jefferson elementary as Schools of Recognition for the second year in the row. The program highlights schools across the state that achieve high test scores while also helping low-income students achieve.

Wausau school district director of education Karen Heldt says the program helps reward schools that are doing more with less. “All of these schools are Title 1, which means they're receiving federal and state assistance for their students.” Typically, those schools underperform compared to those without the low-income funding.

But Heldt says the teachers and staff at Grant and Thomas Jefferson do a lot to both help their students and make sure parents get involved. “The improvement strategies they're employing as school-based teams are really paying off in student achievement.”

Both schools will get to use the School of Recognition logo in their letterhead, will get a plaque for the school grounds, and get a $2,000 grant to go towards school functions.