Idaho Falls District 91 Students Named Semifinalists

Three local high school students have earned prestigious National Merit Scholarship semifinalist honors.

Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Secondary Education

Idaho Falls District 91 Students Named Semifinalists

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Three students from Idaho Falls School District 91 have been named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. These students are among 16,000 recognized annually from a field of one million participants.

Why it matters

The recognition highlights the academic achievement of local high schoolers competing on a national stage. Achieving semifinalist status places these students in the running for one of approximately 7,000 scholarships.

Nationally, the program recognizes 16,000 semifinalists from one million participants each year. In Idaho Falls, 14 students have earned this status since 2022.

The players

Isaac Kingma

He is one of the three students from the district named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist.

Audrey McCartin

She is one of the three students from the district named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist.

Benjamin Bazcuk

He is one of the three students from the district named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist.

Idaho Falls School District 91

This is the public school district serving the Idaho Falls community where the three students are enrolled.

The details

The semifinalists from Idaho Falls are Isaac Kingma, Audrey McCartin, and Benjamin Bazcuk, representing Idaho Falls High School, Compass Academy, and Skyline High School. Students qualify for this recognition based on top academic achievement.

Fourteen District 91 students have qualified as semifinalists between 2022 and 2026.

Culture Shift

This achievement aligns with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's annual list of 16,000 semifinalists, a standard benchmark for academic excellence. This recognition follows the established pattern of District 91 students appearing on the national list, continuing a four-year trend of local representation.

The success of these students highlights the academic rigor available within the local public school system. Parents and students can use this as an indicator of the competitive opportunities offered at Idaho Falls High School, Compass Academy, and Skyline High School.

The takeaway

Academic honors like the National Merit Scholarship can provide students with significant financial opportunities for college. Families should encourage early preparation to help students meet the criteria for competitive national programs.