Chrisman Celebrates National School of Character Designation

Sporting bright t-shirts and brighter smiles, William Chrisman students celebrated their 2015 National School of Character status by posing for a group picture inside Independence All-School Stadium. Chrisman was one of just 64 schools nationwide and one of only four in the Kansas City area (Ott Elementary was also honored as a 2015 National School of Character) to receive the coveted distinction.

“Having two schools in one district receive this honor clearly demonstrates the Independence School District’s leadership in the area of character education,” said ISD Superintendent Dr. Dale Herl. Character.org, a national character education advocacy organization, screened Chrisman (and Ott) intensively, a process that included a site visit and an evaluation of the school’s character programs. William Chrisman was the first high school on the Missouri side of the metropolitan area to ever receive the honor.

National Schools of Character reflect the correlation between positive character development and positive impacts on academics, student behavior and school climate. Chrisman (and Ott) carries the National School of Character designation for five years. The group photo will go into the 2015-16 school yearbook and sent to Character.org representatives.