Forest Park celebrates the class of 2026 in Crystal Falls

Four Forest Park valedictorians led the Class of 2026 into the gym one last time, and seniors joined the band for a final walk that marked the end of the school year in Crystal Falls. For a small Iron County district, the scene was more than a photo opportunity. It was the public handoff from high school routines to whatever comes next for the latest group of Trojan graduates.

The class page identified the Forest Park Graduating Class of 2026 and highlighted Ava Fischer, Lauren Reed, Lily Sarder and Elsie Williams as valedictorians. That detail gave the tribute a rare academic centerpiece: four students at the top of the class, a sign that Forest Park’s senior group reached its finish line with depth, not just one standout name.

Forest Park Schools had already publicly recognized its top 10 seniors in May, underscoring that this year’s class carried a broader record of academic and extracurricular achievement. The seniors were active across academics, athletics, band, National Honor Society, Business Professionals of America, the Youth Advisory Committee and student leadership, showing a group that has been visible in nearly every corner of school life.

One of the strongest examples came from Lily Sarder, a 2026 graduate of Forest Park High School, who won first place in Fundamental Desktop Publishing at the Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, held May 6-10. Her national title added a concrete measure of how far the class reached beyond Crystal Falls, and it gave families a share-worthy marker of what one Forest Park senior accomplished on a bigger stage.

The timing of the graduation salute also lined up with the school year itself. Forest Park Schools’ 2025-26 calendar runs through Thursday, June 4, placing the feature at the close of the district year and at the moment when seniors officially become alumni. In a county where school identity is closely tied to community identity, the Class of 2026 leaves behind more than a ceremony. It leaves a record of achievement that will follow students into college, trades, military service and local work across Iron County and beyond.