One hundred and ninety students who take Advanced Placement classes at Des Moines Public Schools have earned AP honors from the College Board, it was announced today, an increase of nearly 50% in the number of awards compared to last year. And among the honorees are a record number of 29 students who have been recognized as AP National Scholars.

Nine Des Moines high school seniors have been chosen as Semifinalists in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship competition, placing them among the top young scholars in the state and nation. The Des Moines students were selected based on their strong performance on the Preliminary SAT test taken earlier this year.