Collegiate Prep, Cedar Hill High School Earn National PTA School of Excellence Honors

Cedar Hill--Collegiate Prep Elementary continued its tradition of earning the National PTA School of Excellence for the sixth consecutive time, and Cedar Hill High School earned it for the first time this year.

Both PTAs were recognized during a virtual celebration on August 13.

“I’m really excited and thankful,” Collegiate PTA President Sierra Phillips said. “It’s an honor that symbolizes everything that the Prep family has done over the years. I’m glad I have so much support in the Prep family and in Cedar Hill as a whole.”

Former Collegiate Prep Vice President of Programs Rhonda Black played a key role in achieving the honor. She currently oversees the Collegiate Prep Changemakers – a service-related program for Prep students, staff and families.

“The entire School of Excellence program is about fostering partnerships between families and the school,” Black said. “We deliberately focused on partnership. The School and the PTA worked together to identify where we have needs and gaps.”

One of the requirements for School of Excellence was a survey that went out to families. For Prep, the focus was on achieving student success.

Cedar Hill High School hopes to build a similar PTA tradition. They achieved the School of Excellence honor with their Baccalaureate graduation program last spring at Trinity Church.
CHHS PTA organizers credited new CHHS Principal Courtney Washington, the 2025-2026 Cedar Hill ISD Principal of the Year, with strengthening their program.

“Cedar Hill High School is the District’s Flagship campus, and we want to take this as far as possible,” CHHS PTA President Aneesha Woods said. “Now that we’ve spoken with a lot of the students, including the student council, we know what we want the 2026-2027 school year to look like.”

CHHS PTA Programs Chair Denishea Williams, who also serves as the Cedar Hill ISD Board Secretary, spearheaded the effort for the School of Excellence honor.

“A lot of our junior parents were excited to be a part of the baccalaureate ceremony -- it increased volunteer and student engagement,” Williams said. “We want to set an example for the next junior class parents when they become senior parents. We opened up floodgates of parents wanting to get involved.”

SOURCE: Cedar Hill ISD