Two public schools in Gwinnett County and two Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Atlanta were recognized this year as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the United States Department of Education.
The recognition is one of the highest honors in education and celebrates either a school’s academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps, according to a news release Tuesday.
National Blue Ribbon Schools “demonstrate effective and innovative teaching and learning, and the schools value and support teachers and staff through meaningful professional learning,” the release states.
The following schools are the metro Atlanta honorees:
- Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell
- Harris Elementary School in Duluth
- Pharr Elementary School in Snellville
- St. Jude the Apostle Catholic School in Atlanta
Both Harris and Pharr elementary are Title I schools, meaning they serve a large number of students from lower-income families. Both schools were recognized for their academic performance.
The Council for American Private Education nominates Catholic and other private schools for the Department of Education to consider for Blue Ribbon status.
“The honorees for our 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award have set a national example for what it means to raise the bar in education,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said. He credited school leaders with “fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.”
The Department of Education recognized 353 schools across the country this year, including eight in Georgia.
The Georgia schools outside metro Atlanta that received recognition are:
- Dougherty County School District’s Robert A. Cross Middle School in Albany
- Houston County School District’s Quail Run Elementary School in Warner Robins
- The Diocese of Savannah’s St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School in Columbus
- Whitfield County Schools’ Westside Middle School in Rocky Face
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