The purpose of the Certified and Classified Employees of the Quarter Program is to recognize excellence as accomplished by certified and classified employees of Grand Forks Public Schools. To be considered for the award, the employee must be a valuable asset to the Grand Forks Public Schools community by completing their job duties to the highest standard and displaying a commitment to students/parents/guardians and the school/program/school system.

The Certified and Classified Employees of the Quarter Program applies to all full- and part-time employees who have worked in the Grand Forks Public Schools system for at least one calendar year. The Certified and Classified Employees of the Quarter Program is reviewed periodically and subject to change without notice. 

• Examples of certified employees include teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers, and school psychologists.
• Examples of classified employees include custodians, nurses, paraprofessionals, receptionists, secretaries/assistants, in addition to building and ground employees (carpenter, maintenance, electrician, HVAC mechanic, etc.), child nutrition (cooks, cook managers, drivers, etc.), and district personnel (accounting, secretaries/assistants, payroll, etc.).
• Note: administrators (including principals and associate principals) are not eligible for this program.

Nominations are open to the entire community. A district committee will use a scoring rubric (1-4) to evaluate each applicant on the criteria listed below. Committee members will first individually score the applications, and will then discuss their scoring in order to reach consensus on a Certified and Classified employee of each quarter.

The award recipients will be recognized at a Grand Forks School Board meeting. They will receive a plaque from the Grand Forks School Board, and in gratitude for their impact on the school system and students, will also receive a $200 monetary award from the Grand Forks Foundation for Education.

Please click here to view the rubric the nominations will be scored on.

Nominations for Employees of the Quarter will reopen in the fall of 2022.