Frisco ISD recognized 120 students as 2027 National Merit Semifinalists, saying the district again posted the highest total in Texas, according to a Sept. 10 announcement from the school district.
The recognition covers academically talented juniors whose scores on the 2025 PSAT/NMSQT qualified them for the national program. Frisco ISD said the Semifinalists now have a path to Finalist standing in the spring and to National Merit Scholarships that the program values at about $24 million overall.
Of this year’s Semifinalists, Frisco ISD reported that 58% have attended the district for at least 10 years. That group includes 55 students enrolled since kindergarten or first grade. District leaders cast the numbers as a reflection of sustained instruction and opportunities for students to challenge themselves.
What district leaders said
“Earning recognition as a Merit Semifinalist is a tremendous accomplishment and a reflection of the strength of our instruction and the opportunities we provide students to challenge themselves and pursue their interests,” Wes Cunningham, associate deputy superintendent, said in the Frisco ISD release. “We’re incredibly proud of these students and the hard work that brought them to this point, but we’re equally proud of the many ways our students are finding success every day.”
National Merit by the numbers
Frisco ISD cited National Merit program figures showing more than 1.2 million high school juniors across about 20,000 U.S. high schools entered by taking the qualifying test. Fewer than 1% were named National Merit Semifinalists. The number of Semifinalists allotted to each state is proportionate to that state’s graduating senior class, the district said.
