Eagle Awards Honor Outstanding Achievement at NHA Schools
NHA Communications TeamNHA Communications Team
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School leaders filled DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids with cheers and celebration as they learned which schools earned Eagle Awards for the 2025-26 school year.
National Heritage Academies'® (NHA®) annual Leadership Summit serves as a professional development opportunity to learn about new areas of focus and share effective strategies for the school year ahead. But for one night, the learning is put on pause, and the Eagle Awards honor and celebrate schools for their hard work in the prior year.
Awards are given out across a variety of categories such as safety, attendance, and student enrollment. Schools in the top five percent of improvement in select categories are also honored with a Taking Flight Eagle Award.
Please see a full list of award winners below. Congratulations, and thank you for your dedication to academic excellence and supporting our students!
Chief Technology Officer Eric Spangler (left) and Founder J.C. Huizenga celebrate school leaders during the 2026 Eagle Awards.
Schools of Excellence (5 Stars)
Awarded to schools with superior performance in academics and enrollment for the 2025-26 school year.
Awarded to schools that were compliant with the NHA safety program, completed the required emergency drills on time, participated in Safe Schools Week, and earned an overall score of 90 or above on the spring 2026 employee engagement survey safety question.
Student Attendance
Awarded to the top 10% of schools with the lowest percentage of students chronically absent. Criteria are measured by school type.
Awarded to the top 5% of schools with the greatest year-over-year improvement in the percentage of students chronically absent.
Awarded to schools with an employee engagement score at or above 85 on the spring 2026 employee engagement survey.
Employee Engagement (Taking Flight)
Awarded to the top 5% of schools with the greatest improvement on the employee engagement question from Fall 2025 to Spring 2026 on the employee engagement survey.
Awarded to schools with at least 90% of parents satisfied (top two boxes) and at least a 40% response rate on the spring 2026 parent survey.
Awarded to the top 5% of schools with the greatest improvement in the percentage of parents highly satisfied from the fall to spring parent survey.
Student Enrollment
Awarded to schools with count day enrollment at 100% of their enrollment goal, with an enrollment goal at or above expected capacity, and ADM at 99% of the lesser of fall enrollment or offered capacity.
Awarded to the top 5% of schools with the greatest improvement in year-over-year count day enrollment, based on same-grade configurations.
About National Heritage Academies
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of 103 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 67,000 students in kindergarten through high school. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find the nearest charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.
National Heritage Academies'® (NHA®) annual Leadership Summit serves as a professional development opportunity to learn about new areas of focus and share effective strategies for the school year ahead. But for one night, the learning is put on pause, and the Eagle Awards honor and celebrate schools for their hard work in the prior year.
Awards are given out across a variety of categories such as safety, attendance, and student enrollment. Schools in the top five percent of improvement in select categories are also honored with a Taking Flight Eagle Award.
Please see a full list of award winners below. Congratulations, and thank you for your dedication to academic excellence and supporting our students!
Chief Technology Officer Eric Spangler (left) and Founder J.C. Huizenga celebrate school leaders during the 2026 Eagle Awards.
2025-26 EAGLE AWARDS CRITERIA AND WINNERS
Schools of Excellence (5 Stars)
Awarded to schools with superior performance in academics and enrollment for the 2025-26 school year.
- Achieve Charter Academy
- Canton Charter Academy
- Cross Creek Charter Academy
- Greensboro Academy
- Hamtramck Academy
- Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy
- South Canton Scholars Charter Academy
- Summerfield Charter Academy
- Triumph Academy
- Advantage Charter Academy
- Excel Charter Academy
- Great Oaks Academy
- Laurus Academy
- Linden Charter Academy
- Oakside Prep Academy
- Pembroke Academy
- South Arbor Charter Academy
- Vanguard Charter Academy
- Walton Charter Academy
- Warrendale Charter Academy
Awarded to schools that were compliant with the NHA safety program, completed the required emergency drills on time, participated in Safe Schools Week, and earned an overall score of 90 or above on the spring 2026 employee engagement survey safety question.
- Advantage Charter Academy
- Arbor Preparatory High School
- Burton Glen Charter Academy
- Canton Charter Academy
- Capstone Academy
- Chandler Woods Charter Academy
- Cross Creek Charter Academy
- East Arbor Charter Academy
- Endeavor Charter Academy
- Great Oaks Academy
- Greensboro Academy
- Keystone Academy
- Legacy Charter Academy
- Metro Charter Academy
- North Oak Academy
- North Saginaw Charter Academy
- Paragon Charter Academy
- Paramount Charter Academy
- Pathway School of Discovery
- Peak Charter Academy
- Pembroke Academy
- Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy
- PrepNet Virtual Academy
- Quest Charter Academy
- Reach Charter Academy
- Ridge Park Charter Academy
- South Canton Scholars Charter Academy
- Summerfield Charter Academy
- Triumph Academy
- Wake Forest Charter Academy
- Walker Charter Academy
- Walton Charter Academy
- Willow Charter Academy
The PrepNet Virtual Academy team poses for a photo after winning an Eagle Award.
Student Attendance
Awarded to the top 10% of schools with the lowest percentage of students chronically absent. Criteria are measured by school type.
- Advantage Charter Academy
- Chandler Woods Charter Academy
- Cross Creek Charter Academy
- Excel Charter Academy
- Pathway School of Discovery
- Pembroke Academy
- Research Triangle Charter Academy
- Riverton Street Charter School
- Winterville Charter Academy
Awarded to the top 5% of schools with the greatest year-over-year improvement in the percentage of students chronically absent.
- Apex Academy
- Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School
- Grand River Preparatory High School
- Keystone Academy
- Legacy Charter Academy
Awarded to schools with an employee engagement score at or above 85 on the spring 2026 employee engagement survey.
- Advantage Charter Academy
- Burton Glen Charter Academy
- Canton Preparatory High School
- East Arbor Charter Academy
- Great Oaks Academy
- Hamtramck Academy
- Laurus Academy
- Legacy Charter Academy
- North Oak Academy
- Paramount Charter Academy
- Pembroke Academy
- Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy
- Quest Charter Academy
- Reach Charter Academy
- Vanderbilt Charter Academy
- Warrendale Charter Academy
- Willow Charter Academy
Advantage Charter Academy school leaders make their way to the stage to accept an Eagle Award.
Employee Engagement (Taking Flight)
Awarded to the top 5% of schools with the greatest improvement on the employee engagement question from Fall 2025 to Spring 2026 on the employee engagement survey.
- Bennett Venture Academy
- Brooklyn Dreams Charter School
- Mountain View Academy
- Prevail Academy
- Winterfield Venture Academy
Awarded to schools with at least 90% of parents satisfied (top two boxes) and at least a 40% response rate on the spring 2026 parent survey.
- Achieve Charter Academy
- Advantage Charter Academy
- Chandler Woods Charter Academy
- Cross Creek Charter Academy
- Greensboro Academy
- Legacy Charter Academy
- Paramount Charter Academy
- Pembroke Academy
- Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy
- Queen's Grant Community School
- South Arbor Charter Academy
- South Canton Scholars Charter Academy
- Willow Charter Academy
Awarded to the top 5% of schools with the greatest improvement in the percentage of parents highly satisfied from the fall to spring parent survey.
- Alliance Academy of Cincinnati
- Canton Preparatory High School
- East Arbor Charter Academy
- Emerson Academy
- Linden Charter Academy
- Warrendale Charter Academy
Chief Technology Officer Eric Spangler (left) and Founder J.C. Huizenga celebrate school leaders during the 2026 Eagle Awards.
Student Enrollment
Awarded to schools with count day enrollment at 100% of their enrollment goal, with an enrollment goal at or above expected capacity, and ADM at 99% of the lesser of fall enrollment or offered capacity.
- Canton Charter Academy
- Chandler Woods Charter Academy
- Cross Creek Charter Academy
- Excel Charter Academy
- Foundations Academy
- Greensboro Academy
- Hamtramck Academy
- Landmark Academy at Reunion
- Matthews Charter Academy
- Pathway School of Discovery
- Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy
- Queen's Grant Community School
- Riverton Street Charter School
- South Arbor Charter Academy
- South Canton Scholars Charter Academy
- Southside Academy Charter School
- Summerfield Charter Academy
- Vanguard Charter Academy
- Walton Charter Academy
Awarded to the top 5% of schools with the greatest improvement in year-over-year count day enrollment, based on same-grade configurations.
- Buffalo United Charter School
- Peak Charter Academy
- Pembroke Academy
- PrepNet Virtual Academy
- Willow Charter Academy
About National Heritage Academies
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of 103 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 67,000 students in kindergarten through high school. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find the nearest charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.