Preparations are underway for the 40th annual Governor’s Scholars Award program, which will take place Sunday, May 7, in Topeka at Washburn University’s Petro Allied Health Center, Lee Arena. 

The event is organized by the Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force and honors academic excellence by recognizing the top 1% of each school’s senior class. 

High school principals should have recently received an email with the number of eligible students they can bring to the event. Each high school principal is asked to identify their school’s recipient or recipients based on student grade point averages from the first seven semesters. Names need to be submitted by Feb. 15. 

To submit student name(s) for this recognition, please follow these steps: 

1. Go to www.kshsaa.org and login to the website with your unique user ID and password. 
2. Select the Governor’s Scholar Registration link toward the top of the page. 
3. Select Add Recipient. 
4. Provide the requested information for your student and click Submit Recipient. 
5. Repeat these steps for each additional student you are permitted to submit. 

To maintain the integrity of this prestigious recognition, the Task Force recommends breaking GPA ties by evaluating composite ACT or SAT scores, completion of Regent’s Qualified Admission Standards curriculum, Kansas state school assessment scores, Kansas Honor Scholars’ curriculum, community service, essays or any other appropriate criteria determined by your school’s administration and faculty. 

Later this semester, students will be contacted by letter at the address provided, naming that student a Governor’s Scholar and inviting them to the recognition ceremony. The student, student’s parents and a teacher of the student’s choice are invited to attend. In addition, the Task Force also invites the high school principal, superintendent and their spouses to attend. 

For more information, contact Brent Unruh with the Kansas High School Activities Association at (785) 273-5329. Please don’t direct questions to Gov. Laura Kelly’s office.