Established in 1995 by the Kenan Institute for the Arts, the A+ Schools Program began with 25 Pre-K–12 public schools that participated in an extensive four-year evaluation. The results of the initial evaluation, and the subsequent evaluation in the eighth year, attributed the success and sustainability of the program to the use of arts in school reform, the professional development and the network created to support teachers and schools. Banner Elk was an original A+ school that was trained initially back in 1995.  Now, some 20 years later, Banner Elk continues to use A+ practices to guide instruction, planning, integration and be the core value of what happens each day at Banner Elk.