WASHINGTON D.C.– Caledonia Elementary School and St. James Catholic School receive the National Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education.
National Blue Ribbon–it is a prestigious award given to only the top performing schools in the nation. In 32 years, nearly 7,000 schools have been recognized. This year, Caledonia Elementary and St. James Catholic High School are among the 287 public schools and 50 private schools listed as this year’s recipients.
The U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released a statement Tuesday about these schools.
“These great schools are fulfilling the promise of American education—that all students, no matter their name or zip code, can flourish when schools provide safe, creative, and challenging learning environments,” Duncan said. “National Blue Ribbon Schools are models of consistent excellence and a resource for other schools and districts. We celebrate them for their tireless effort and boundless creativity in reaching and teaching every student.”
The schools were announced in a live video stream Tuesday at 12:30pm, but the chat window on the site showed many people wondering if the ceremony was going on. Many states were having trouble viewing the ceremony or didn’t see it at all.
There’s still more recognition to come. There will be celebrations and recognition events in Washington D.C. November 10-11.
Caledonia Elementary and St. James Catholic School were recognized for being some of the best in the nation for high performance and closing the gaps between groups within the school and community in education within the last five years.
For the list of all National Blue Ribbon Schools, click here.
