The Framingham School Committee officially recognized the academic accomplishments of three Framingham High School students Tuesday night at its meeting and added an impromptu thank you to the students’ parents.

“We are so proud of you and you represent Framingham so well,” said School Committee vice chair Beverly Hugo after the students and parents stood and received a round of applause from the audience.

The three Framingham High seniors -- Brian K. Gilligan, Halie A. Olson and Sonia M. Scaria -- have been identified as National Merit Scholar finalists for this year.

To gain finalist status, the three demonstrated very high academic performance in college prep courses; SAT scores that corresponded with high PSAT scores from their junior year; and were endorsed and recommended by a school official.

Gilligan, Olson and Scaria are among 15,000 high school students nationwide who have earned the designation of finalist from a pool of about 1.5 million students from more than 22,000 high schools that entered the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program.

“You represent the top performers in our district,” said School Superintendent Dr. Scott, who added that National Merit Scholarship Program finalists represent less than 1 percent of all high school seniors.

Ultimately, nearly 8,300 National Merit Scholarships, worth an estimated $32 million, will be awarded in 2013. Recipients will be notified from April through July.

School Committee Chair David Miles mentioned he watched Gilligan and Olson compete in the state indoor track championships last week in Boston. “That shows that our students are active outside the classroom as well,” said Miles.