EBENSBURG — Central Cambria Middle School was recently designated one of the 2025-26 Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch, an honor that recognizes outstanding middle schools throughout the nation for their academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity and organizational structures.

To qualify, schools must demonstrate success and a sustained commitment to continuous growth, said Bruce Vosburgh, Pennsylvania’s Schools to Watch director.

Central Cambria was one of four new schools in Pennsylvania to receive the designation this year, joining a network of more than 700 schools nationwide, Vosburgh said.

“We congratulate these schools for being places that do great things for all their students,” Vosburgh said.

“These schools demonstrate that high-performing middle grades schools prioritize academic growth and achievement while meeting the needs of every student and ensuring equitable access to a high-quality education,” he added.

According to Vosburgh, the application process included a rigorous self-study, extensive staff participation and a full-day site visit by state evaluators who observed classrooms, reviewed assessment data and spoke with teachers, students and their families.

In Central Cambria’s case, teachers started the self-study in March and applied for the recognition in June, according to Principal Joe Strittmatter, who said officials found out they were moving forward in the process at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.

The second phase involved a site visit, which state evaluators conducted Monday, Oct. 13, Strittmatter said, noting the evaluators talked with everyone from the building secretary to members of the maintenance and kitchen staff, students, teachers and members of the community.

Although it’s hard to put a finger on what makes Central Cambria Middle School so special, Strittmatter said he’s glad the evaluators were able to recognize the school’s positive culture.

“Everybody’s pretty excited about it,” Strittmatter said of the recognition. “It’s kind of a win for the entire team because people work really hard and go unnoticed. I’m just proud to work with those guys every day.”

Strittmatter said he’s also proud of the school’s students for their academic achievement rates and involvement in extracurricular activities, such as athletics and musical performances.

“I’m just happy to be associated with Central Cambria Middle School because of everybody. This achievement belongs to the whole team,” he said.

School board President Thomas Woods said the school’s students, teachers and staff are committed to demonstrating civility and kindness toward each other. The world would be a better place if every school committed to practicing those ideals, he said.

“Cheers to them for being a shining star academic community,” Woods said. “The school board joins our local community in being exceptionally proud of their success.”

Central Cambria Middle School will be formally honored at the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education state conference in February 2026 and again in June at the National Schools to Watch conference in Washington, D.C.