It’s Now 5 x 36: Two More Students Earn Perfect Marks on ACT

Two more Des Moines students have joined a select group of students who have earned a perfect composite score of 36 on the ACT test, the college entrance examination, bringing the total to five students in the school district receiving the highest possible score this year.

Jack Bequeaith and Luke Sheeley both received the highest possible composite score when they took the ACT in June. Both students are enrolled at Roosevelt High School and take courses at Central Academy.

They join three other Des Moines students – Corey Grief, Matthew MacKay, and Megan Mansfield – who received composite scores of 36 when they took the ACT exam in April.

Jack is a senior and the son of Mark Bequeaith and Suzanne Stewart of Des Moines. Luke is starting his junior year and is the son of John Sheeley and Cynthia James of West Des Moines. Both students are interested in studying a math or science-related field in college.

“Anyone who thinks Des Moines does not offer the best educational opportunities to students does not know Des Moines,” said Crista Carlile, the supervisor of Central Academy. “Our students, like Jack and Luke, are not only preparing to compete in the world but to help lead the world. It is exciting to watch them learn, grow and succeed as they get ready for their next steps in life.”

Each year, less than one-tenth of one percent of students earn a perfect composite score of 36 on the ACT test, the college entrance examination. Over the past five years, between six to eight Iowa students per year received a perfect composite score. In Iowa, nearly 23,000 students in the Class of 2011 took the ACT exam.

Central Academy is home to one of the nation’s top Advanced Placement programs and is the only school in Iowa to offer the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. A part of Des Moines Public Schools, Central Academy is attended by students from 36 different schools throughout the city and across central Iowa.