VAPA Teacher Earns National Recognition

Leonardo Jaramillo-Jones of Lexington Middle School, who teaches in the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) pathway, has received a 2026 Distinguished Specialist Award from the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM. He was one of four such honorees recognized at this month’s national conference in St. Louis, Missouri, where our students’ work was showcased for a broad audience. 

Jaramillo-Jones is starting his second year teaching visual art at Lexington Middle, which he joined in 2024 as a Spanish instructor. “He is so deserving of this honor, and we are incredibly lucky to have him on our team,” said Principal Bryne Jacobs.