Valiant Cross Academy, a private, all-boys school in Montgomery, was awarded the $1 million Yass Prize yesterday.

The award, which honors innovation in education, has been given out for the last three years to institutions “trying to break the cycle of ineffective education failing students across the country.”

Valiant Academy was one of nine finalists in the running for the top prize. The other eight schools that were not selected each received $500,000. The remaining 23 Yass Prize semifinalists also each received $200,000.

“This is so amazing, I’m so excited,” said Anthony Brock, co-founder and executive director of the school, in a news release. “I want to give this opportunity to every boy of color in America.”

Valiant Cross Academy, located in downtown Montgomery, is an all-male school serving all Black students.

The school was founded by brothers Anthony and Fred Brock to provide a Christian emphasis in education and a culture of structure and discipline. Valiant Cross currently serves 210 students in grades 6-12.

The school graduated its first class in 2022 and saw 100% of their seniors graduate, many of whom were the first in their family to receive a diploma.

“Valiant Cross Academy represents the gold standard of education innovation in America,” said Janine Yass, co-founder, with her husband Jeff Yass, of the Yass Prize and the Yass Foundation for Education, in a news release. “Our goal is to accelerate all our prize winners’ efforts to scale up and drive impact in the lives of the students they serve. America’s children desperately need innovative solutions to overcome the learning loss and falling test scores observed over the past several years.”

Janine and Jeff Yass are Pennsylvania-based billionaires who have given millions to charter schools and school choice campaigns.

Since 2021, the Yass Prize has identified more than 6,000 education innovators “who are delivering for students in unique ways, in different places, and for all kinds of kids for whom their assigned school district school was either closed, not working for them, or both.”