(UPDATED, 2:25 p.m. Oct. 2, to reflect Prairie Elementary School’s 2014 award.)
The U.S. Department of Education has released its list of 335 “blue ribbon” schools — and this year, Idaho was shut out.
The awards, launched in 1982, are based on student scores and graduation rates. Schools can receive awards for exemplary high performance or for exemplary work in closing student achievement gaps.
“This honor recognizes your students’ accomplishments and the hard work and dedication that went into their success,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday, in a video message to the awardees. “You represent excellence — in vision, in implementation, and in results — and we want to learn as much as we can from you.”
In all, 285 public schools and 50 private schools won the award. Click here for the full list.
Idaho wasn’t the only state shut out Tuesday: Kansas, Oregon, Vermont and Washington also came up empty.
Idaho had one blue ribbon winner in 2014, Prairie Elementary School in Cottonwood, and two winners in 2013, Gate City Elementary School in Pocatello and Sugar-Salem High School in Sugar City both won the award. Since the inception of the award, 22 Idaho schools have received national honors.
