RRHS Wins Coveted James D. MacConnell Award

We are beyond proud to announce that Rock Ridge High School has just won the highest educational design award in the WORLD — the 2025 James D. MacConnell Award, presented by the A4LE Association for Learning Environments!

This award recognizes schools that push boundaries and redefine what learning can look like, and Rock Ridge High School stood above entries from around the globe. While the award may have been unexpected, the work behind it certainly wasn’t. Rock Ridge High School was intentionally designed through deep collaboration with:

• Our teachers
• Cuningham (architects & designers)
• Kraus Anderson (builders)
• Community partners

Together, we created a high school built around:

• Career academies
• Project-based learning
• Flexible, innovative learning spaces

But most importantly — this award belongs to our community. To our staff, students, parents, school board, and the entire Rock Ridge community — thank you for your courage, commitment, vision, and belief in what’s possible. Because when people come together with courage + commitment + vision, dreams don’t just happen…they are BUILT.