A top 2% finish deserves some recognition.

Eight Southeast Polk third graders earned National Math Stars recognition after ranking among the top 2% of third-grade students in Iowa in mathematics on the 2026 Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP).

The students were recognized by the Southeast Polk Board of Education during its September 3 meeting.

The National Math Stars recognition celebrates students who demonstrate exceptional achievement in mathematics, highlighting students whose performance places them among the highest-performing students in their grade level across Iowa.

The Southeast Polk students recognized are:

• Kalvin Guldenpfennig — Altoona
• Samuel Wagoner — Centennial
• Easton Lippold — Clay
• Natalie Hogle — Clay
• Abigail DeSmet — Delaware
• Lydia Connell — Four Mile
• Maxwell Burkhead — Four Mile
• Matthew Timperley — Mitchellville
• Aubrey Greenwood — Runnells
• Emersyn Vermeer — Runnells
• Hank Robinson — Runnells
• Leah Farnsworth — Willowbrook

The students represented every Southeast Polk elementary school, making the recognition a districtwide celebration of strong mathematics achievement.

Now fourth graders, these students are continuing their learning across Southeast Polk classrooms this school year. We’re proud to recognize their accomplishment and the work that helped them reach this milestone.