IDEA Public Schools wins H.E.B. award

AUSTIN -- For Tom Torkelson, the work he and fellow educators at the charter school district he helped found is finally paying off.

On Sunday, IDEA Public Schools won the H.E.B. Excellence in Education Award for the best small district in the state.

The charter school district bested two other systems throughout the state to capture the $50,000 cash prize.

H.E.B. started the awards program with the Texas Association of School Administrators in 2002 and the program has become the largest monetary award given to educators in the state, more than $500,000 each year.

The grocery chain gave more than $380,000 in cash prizes at its awards ceremony at the Barton Creek Resort and Spa Sunday night.

IDEA was named a finalist in March for the best small district and received a $2,500 prize. The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo district was named one of four finalists for the best large school district then and received a $5,000 prize. Six educators from the Valley also received nominations for the state award and received cash prizes for their campuses and themselves.

IDEA is the first charter school district to win this award, Torkelson said.

"The exciting thing was being able to stand up there and tell everyone the wonderful things going on in the Rio Grande Valley," said Torkelson, who along with fellow Teach For America alumna JoAnn Gonzales founded IDEA Public Schools 10 years ago.

Though the district has received numerous grants throughout the past decade to help further its efforts in making sure every child goes and graduates from college, the H.E.B. award was equally thrilling for Torkelson because of the recognition it gives the district, he said.

"It seems after 10 years, all of the hard work is beginning to pay off," Torkelson said.

The H.E.B. award tops off what has been a banner school year for IDEA Public Schools.

The charter school district's high school in Donna was named among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report and was accepted to offer the International Baccalaureate Organization's Middle Years Programme for students in grades 6-10.

Earlier this year the district's leadership has received recognition for the schools' success. Torkelson was mentioned in Time Magazine in April and last month Torkelson, Gonzales and IDEA College Preparatory Principal Jeremy Beard received the Peter Jennings Award for Civic Leadership from Teach for America.

IDEA Public Schools currently has five campuses in Donna, Brownsville, San Benito, McAllen/Edinburg and Mission and plans to open its sixth campus in San Juan this fall.

Torkelson said the money might go toward a matching donation to the schools' employee giving campaign. That campaign raises money for college scholarships and emergency loans for students and alumni in college.

This is the second time a Rio Grande Valley school district captured the statewide award.

The Hidalgo school district won the Excellence in Education Award for small school districts in 2007.

Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.