Kimberly wins state award for fourth consecutive year

Kimberly, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — The Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA) has announced the winners of the 2025-26 “Schools of Excellence” program along with the “Award of Excellence” certificate. Four Magic Valley Schools won the “Award of Excellence” with one school winning the top award.

Kimberly High School was named the 4A “Schools of Excellence” award winner for the 2025-26 school year, marking the fourth consecutive year the school has won the award.

The year long, voluntary program has schools earn points based on their student-athletes’ performance in athletics, academics and sportsmanship. It is the top award for the IHSAA and it’s member schools.

To determine the recipients of the award, the IHSAA weights three major areas of high school activities equally.

Those are the academic component, the performance component and the citizenship component.

Bulldogs’ athletic director, Zach Dong, says the school emphasizes that the word “student” is first in “student-athlete.”

“Its something that we incorporate in everything that we do here at Kimberly, from the parent meetings, to the coaches meetings,” Dong said. “Its a pillar of every single program at our school.”

Including Kimberly, three other Magic Valley schools were awarded the “Award of Excellence” certificate. Those schools included Twin Falls High School, Burley High School and Buhl High School.