Accomplishments

The Arts Schools Network has recognized Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities as an "Exemplary School" in recognition of outstanding efforts in strategically evaluating their purpose, operations, plans, and educational programs. To qualify for this designation, a school must complete a comprehensive review through a series of questions that explore the entire range of a school’s purpose and operations. The review was created by the Arts Schools Network and the Accrediting Commission for Community and Precollegiate Arts Schools (ACCPAS) to help school personnel plan, evaluate, and implement effective organizational development.

The CollegeBoard identifies a score of "5" on an AP exam as "extremely well qualified to be successful in collegiate level work." During the score announcement in July 2025, 81 students in the 2025 school year amassed 118 perfect scores, and 72% of all students earned a qualifying score of 3 or higher.

To celebrate this accomplishment, teachers and administrators throughout the district placed yard signs acknowledging this honor.

Coeur d’Alene High School seniors Alexander Esposito and Ava Gabbert have been named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists — an honor earned by fewer than 1% of students nationwide. Both were excited and a little surprised by the recognition, crediting their hard work and support systems for helping them get there. Principal Victoria Beecher shared how proud the school is of their achievements, saying they truly represent the Viking tradition of academic excellence. Finalists will be announced in February 2026, and we’ll be cheering them on! Congratulations, Alexander and Ava!

Coeur d’Alene High School Senior, Caleb Torgenson, spent his summer spent in the halls of Congress, in Washington, D.C., on the Senate floor, and socializing with other students from across the country as a page for Senator Crapo. 

“There was a lot of times that I felt like a really, really small person in a really, really big world,” Toregenson said of his month as a page for the United States Senate. In this story featured in the Coeur d'Alene Press, the biggest takeaway from the experience, Torgenson said, was to seize the opportunities in front of him. He almost gave up on the program when he couldn’t find information about applying on either of the Idaho senators’ websites.

Cynthia Chapman, LCHS art teacher, has been selected as this year’s Arts in Education Honoree, recognizing her commitment to creativity and supporting the arts in our schools.

Jerren Bailey, a proud graduate of Lake City High School, is being honored with the Student Excellence in the Arts Award for his outstanding artistic achievements and dedication to his craft.

Both Cynthia and Jerren have made a meaningful impact on the arts community, and we couldn’t be more proud to celebrate their accomplishments!

Sorensen Magnet School teacher Crystal Bain has been named the 2025 Dance Teacher of the Year by the Idaho Dance Education Organization. 

Mrs. Bain teaches 4th–5th grade at Sorensen and leads the school’s Dance STEP program, inspiring students through creativity, movement, and storytelling. She will be honored at the IDEO Dance Education Conference, Creativity in Motion, during a luncheon on Saturday, September 27, at the University of Idaho in Moscow.

Coeur d'Alene High School sophomore Ella Wilson shot an even-par 71 in the second round, finishing at 2-under-par 140 to win a second straight state 6A golf championship, her six-shot victory helping lead the Viking girls to a runner-up finish for the second consecutive year. 

Sophomore Leah Heavener finished 11th with a 76-82—158 for the Vikings. Freshman Emily Stillert was 15th with an 80-82—162, freshman Kinsley Meier tied for 17th with an 82-84—166, and sophomore Jossetta Williams tied for 20th with an 85-85—170. 

Lake City junior Trey Lambert, the 6A boys leader after the first day with a 67, finished fourth in a card-off with a second-round 73 to finish at 140. 

The Coeur d'Alene High boys cross country team won a third straight team title on Saturday at the Lewis-Clark State Cross Country Course in Lewiston Orchards.

Led by four runners in the top six — junior Wyatt Carr (second), sophomore Rowan Henry (third), senior Mitchell Rietze (fifth) and sophomore Wyatt Morgenstern (sixth) — finishing with 30 team points, winning by 62 points in the 6A boys race. 

“This is why we run cross country is for days like today,” Carr said. “We wanted to bring another state championship to Coeur d’Alene. I’m so proud of everyone, from the coaching staff to the parents and families and athletes. We had people out here cheering us on. It just goes to show the great group of guys we’ve got.”

Coeur d'Alene High School won the 42nd annual North Idaho College Math Competition. The Vikings earned 16 points to win the regional competition among public and charter high schools, led by "Mathletes" Allen Kibler, Conan Tapia, Samuel Mandel, and Alistair Smith.

Non-Senior placers (Junior Category):

• 1st place: Alistair Smith (freshman)

• 2nd Place: Alessandro Banchi (Junior)

Senior Placers:

• 2nd place: Alexander Esposito

Gracie Ford, a Senior at Lake City High School, has been named the 2024–25 Idaho Interscholastic Star and awarded a $2,500 IHSAA scholarship for her excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, and service. A committed golfer and cheerleader, she competed at the state level, supported her teammates, and contributed to her school through music, student government, and community service clubs. Her dedication to helping others and elevating student voices made her a standout representative of Idaho’s student leaders.

Coeur d'Alene High School's student body was named an "Outstanding Student Council" at the statewide meeting at the University of Idaho.

Additionally, Junior Haggen Walker was elected as the Region 1 and 2 President.

Lake City High School represented at the University of Idaho for the Idaho Association of Student Councils—and they brought home major honors. The Timberwolves earned not only an Outstanding Student Council Award, but also the coveted “Learn, Lead, Lift” Award, recognizing their spirit, leadership, and service to their school community. Congratulations to these incredible student leaders!

Skyway’s PTO held an impromptu food drive, turning it into a friendly “house competition” and inspiring incredible generosity from the school community. In just one week, Skyway families donated an impressive 3,504 pounds of food to the Coeur d’Alene Food Bank. A massive thank-you to the Skyway Parent Teacher Organization, who organized and led this effort from start to finish—your hard work made a meaningful difference for families in our community.

Skyway’s PTO held an impromptu food drive, turning it into a friendly “house competition” and inspiring incredible generosity from the school community. In just one week, Skyway families donated an impressive 3,504 pounds of food to the Coeur d’Alene Food Bank. A massive thank-you to the Skyway Parent Teacher Organization, who organized and led this effort from start to finish—your hard work made a meaningful difference for families in our community.

Matt Ruchti, a teacher at LCHS, and his students raised over $14,000 during the annual "Give Back Project" in his Economics classes during the fall semester. While the Project has evolved significantly over the years, evolving from a simple toy drive that his classes traditionally participated in, it has now raised over $50,000 over four years. Students appreciate the opportunity to lead, problem-solve, and serve others, and rise to meet the needs of the community, which speaks volumes about their character.

Congratulations to the Lake City Business Professionals of America Chapter and their impressive showing at the Region 1 Leadership Conference hosted by North Idaho College on December 12th. Competing against BPA members from 4 surrounding North Idaho schools, Lake City had 13 members qualify for the State Leadership Conference taking place in Boise this March

1st Place Finishers and Events:

Lily Jensen : Payroll Accounting, Admin Support Concepts, Management, Marketing, & HR, Digital Marketing

Collin Decker: Computer Network Technology, Graphic Design Promotion, Digital Media Production, Digital Communication & Design Concepts

Emerson Rakes, Lily Jensen, Liran Wolf : Visual Design Team

Coeur d'Alene High School Junior Brock Armstrong won his second straight championship at 190lbs at the prestigious 54-team Tri-State wrestling tournament held at North Idaho College by a 10-2 major decision.

Lake City High Cheer Squad, combined with the staff of ABCD Daycare and Kootenai Health, collected enough food for 35 Blessing Baskets, over 100 jars of baby food, 15 containers of rice cereal, and many more items for new families born during the holiday season.

District Mental Health Specialist Raelynn Loken has been named one of the "Top 40 Under 30" by the Kootenai County Young Professionals. Loken supports student and staff well-being through collaboration, resource connection, and trauma-informed training. 

A Licensed Master Social Worker and North Idaho native dedicated to serving her community through her work with multiple agencies, Loken promotes wellness, connection, and healing for individuals and families, particularly those navigating trauma. 

Outside of district work, she is also the Director of the Coeur Connections Team at Village of Hope CDA, she leads programs that strengthen families impacted by trauma and foster care. At Canopy Village Family Support Center, she provides therapy to youth and families. Passionate about normalizing mental health and promoting social-emotional learning, she strives to bring deep healing to the foster care community and beyond.

Coeur d'Alene High School senior Shayla Tyler was selected as one of 10 students statewide who will participate in the Idaho State Senate Page Program, which begins Jan. 12 when the 2026 Idaho legislators are back in session. She'll spend six weeks in Boise working for senators and senate staff.

Tyler was introduced to the Idaho Senate Page Program when she met a past Page through 4-H's Know Your Government program. She is active in Key Club, has participated in Growing the STEM and other student mentorship programs, and does some work for her mom, who works for Kootenai County.

Tyler found out in October that she was a candidate for the program and just received news a month ago that she will serve as a Page. “I was overjoyed — so excited. I have a lot of family friends who are senators and representatives," Tyler said. "I talked to them, and they’re like, 'We will take you with us, you'll be my person.' I found out so much information about what I'll be doing and how I'll be able to help with what we’re doing in the state."

Coeur d’Alene Public Schools was recognized this week at the HRS Summit Awards Ceremony as Idaho’s only High Reliability Schools (HRS) Level 1 district, with all 16 elementary, middle, and high schools certified for maintaining safe, supportive, and collaborative cultures. In addition, Sorensen Magnet School of Science received recognition as a Level 2 certified school. 

Pictured is Deputy Superintendent Dr. Mike Nelson with Dr. Robert J. Marzano, founder of Marzano Resources and a leading voice in educational leadership. We are so proud of our school leaders and staff - this is an incredible accomplishment! Thank you for your dedication to this work.

Elementary Advanced Learning teachers hosted the annual Coeur d’Alene Public Schools Invention Convention at Bryan Elementary School, where students from across the district proudly showcased their creative inventions.

Five Best of Category winners will be selected, along with a newly added Best of Show honor, which was awarded to Xander Nilson, a 5th grader at Atlas Elementary, for his invention Thermal Twirl—a multi-purpose garden decoration that indicates temperature, wind, and helps deter birds from damaging produce. All Best of Category winners, 25 additional standout student projects, and many other regional inventions will be featured at the Regional Invention Convention, held January 30–February 1 at Silver Lake Mall.

Coeur d’Alene Public Schools was recognized this week at the HRS Summit Awards Ceremony as Idaho’s only High Reliability Schools (HRS) Level 1 district, with all 16 elementary, middle, and high schools certified for maintaining safe, supportive, and collaborative cultures. In addition, Sorensen Magnet School of Science received recognition as a Level 2 certified school. 

Pictured is Deputy Superintendent Dr. Mike Nelson with Dr. Robert J. Marzano, founder of Marzano Resources and a leading voice in educational leadership. We are so proud of our school leaders and staff - this is an incredible accomplishment! Thank you for your dedication to this work.

A delegation of 23 Lake City High School students traveled to Lewiston to practice bill-writing, committee hearings, legislative procedure, and mock appellate court cases - with some earning the chance to present at the Idaho State Supreme Court!. Shoutout to student leaders Maggie Hiltenbrand (Youth Governor Elect), Sam Smith (Press Staff Chief), Ethan Linford (Press Staff), and Violet Zaike (Senate Floor Leader). 

Additionally, four Timberwolves competed in San Francisco at the Harvard Model Congress alongside nearly 350 delegates from around the world — drafting bills and tackling real-world issues like AI in warfare, teacher shortages, and more. Additionally, Will Sharon’s design was selected for the official conference tote bag!

After 5 meets and 15 rounds of competition over the last three months, Coeur d'Alene High School's academic team won first place at the end-of-year competition in Lewiston. had some incredible Success! The team of Andrew Phillips, Caleb Toregenson, Noah Wigdahl, and Conner Gallaher won the first-place trophy, beating 23 other varsity teams, including Gonzaga Prep, Pullman, St. George, Ridgeline, and more.

Additionally, Coeur d'Alene High School's JV teams (1 and 2) won 3rd and 8th place, respectively.

Eighth-grader Tatum Oakland mastered an impressive 184 vocabulary words, helping the Canfield Middle School Cougars capture the Vocabulary Bowl championship. As a team, Canfield’s eighth-grade students mastered 7,062 words—the highest total in the entire state of Idaho. Strong individual performances also came from Lisa Sanchez, who finished second with 130 words, and Bode Hermes, who had 114 words. Mastering English fundamentals is a cornerstone of academic success across the district, and eighth-grade English teachers Jodi Booth and Madison Smith praised their students’ dedication and effort. “Tatum just killed it,” said Booth. “They all worked extremely hard to win the Vocabulary Bowl.” 

Coeur d'Alene High School Cross Country Coach Emry Carr has been named the Idaho State Coaches Association Coach of the Year (for all sports). Coach Carr led the Vikings to their third consecutive 6A State Boys Cross Country Championship and third overall ranking in the nation. Under Carr's leadership, the Vikings are a national powerhouse! 

Crosstown rivals came together as friends in support of local nonprofits when students from Coeur d’Alene and Lake City high schools met in the LCHS commons Friday afternoon to gather blankets, winter clothes, hygiene products, and food they collected during their 2025 “All for Awl” campaign. 

Each year, on the heels of the holiday season and the hotly contested spirit competition, students from both high schools work with local businesses and organizations to conduct resource drives for community members in need. 

This year, the students delivered food to the North Idaho College food pantry, which supports NIC students and employees facing food insecurity. They distributed winter clothes to the Union Gospel Mission Women’s Recovery Center in Coeur d’Alene and blankets to St. Vincent de Paul. Hygiene products were donated to Family Promise of North Idaho, a nonprofit that helps low-income and homeless families achieve lasting independence by providing safe shelter, meals, and support services.

The Ramsey Student Council turned generosity into action this week, collecting an incredible 1,950 food items to support the Kroc Center Families Feeding Families program.

The program helps ensure local families have access to nutritious food — and Ramsey students stepped up in a big way to support that mission. It’s a powerful reminder that small acts, multiplied together, can truly make a difference.

Coeur d'Alene High School junior Brock Armstrong won his second straight, and Senior Rocco White won his first championship at the Idaho State Wrestling championship in Nampa.

Led by these two titles, the Coeur d'Alene High School Vikings team finished in 4th place overall.

Coeur d'Alene High School

• 1st Rylin Eastman - Apparel and Accessories Marketing Series

• 1st - Drake Flowers - Business Services Marketing Series

• 1st Dawson Cushman/Jace Voeller -Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making

• 1st Nora Ryan, Delany Snell, Macy Walters - Career Development Project

• 1st - Allison Carrico, Abigail Neff, Maddy Hunt - Community Giving Project

• 1st Grady Scheuermann/Camden Johnson - Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making

• 1st Lyla Bailey/Alyx Mathews - Hospitality Services Team Decision Making

• 1st Olivia Norwood - Human Resources Management Series

• 1st Jackson Stolebarger/Jaxon Fantozzi - Innovation Plan

• 1st David Dance - Principles of Business Management and Administration

• 1st Haggen Walker - Principles of Hospitality and Tourism

• 1st Alysha Price - Restaurant and Food Service Management Series

• 1st Connor Gallaher - Start-Up Business Plan

• 1st Aubri Curry/Annika Hain - Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making

Lake City High School

• 1st Sawyer Anderson / Zachary Kerns - Marketing Management Team Decision Making 

• 1st Kyra Ellsworth - Principles of Finance 

• 1st Chloe Crowley / Samuel Smith - Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team Decision Making 

• 1st Kennedy Johnson - Retail Merchandising Series 

• 2nd Graci Weber - Professional Selling 

• 2nd Anna Ploof / Kylianna Swofford - Hospitality Services Team Decision Making 

• 3rd Chase Mclaughlin - Principles of Hospitality and Tourism

On February 26th, the Canfield Middle School Mentors had the honor of presenting a $1,000 check to 3 Cs Cancer & Community Charities following the tremendous success of their Winter Wonderland Dance fundraiser. 

The Canfield Mentors are proud to support this meaningful work and to help 3 Cs continue their tradition of community care and compassion. They are grateful for the generous contributions, enthusiasm, and hard work from Canfield's students, staff, and families for the Winter Wonderland Dance, which all helped make this donation possible.

Atlas Elementary School's library, Idaho Battle of the Books, had another successful year of reading competition! The 5th-grade Riptide Readers, Abigail Dao and Charlie Williams, won 1st place. The Book Worms, Megan Lucero, Daisy Tapia, Hadley Cerkony, and Mason Lewis, were the 4th-grade team winners of 2nd place. 

Many thanks to the sponsors who donated gift cards for the winners: The Well Read Moose and Papa Murphy's of Hayden. The Riptide Readers will go on to the district tournament on March 18 at Ramsey Magnet School of Science. Both teams will compete at regionals on April 18 at Twin Lakes Elementary in Rathdrum.

One year after losing by 31 points in the title game, the third-seeded Lake City High School Timberwolves pulled a stunner in the rematch, leading most of the way in a 55-47 victory over the top-seeded Oyhee High School Storm of Meridian.

Lake City (19-8) won its second state title in four years (and in program history), and was playing in the championship game for the fourth time in six years. Owyhee, which opened in 2021, was going for a three-peat and its fourth state title in five years.

“Owyhee is an incredible program,” third-year Lake City coach James Anderson said. “I think we are who we are because of them; they’ve set the bar so high that we’ve been chasing. A lot of credit goes to them for creating this need to find next levels and next ways of doing things.