AUSTIN – The U.S. Department of Education announced yesterday that 26 public schools nominated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) have received Blue Ribbon honors for 2019. 

Since 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program has recognized public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on a school's overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subpopulation groups while maintaining high achievement levels among all students. 

“I want to commend the outstanding work of our educators and congratulate this year’s Blue Ribbon honorees,” said Commissioner of Education Mike Morath. “Achieving the status of a Blue Ribbon school reflects the hard work taking place within our classrooms, and it shows that schools with high levels of poverty can, and do, perform exceptionally well.”

The following are the Texas public schools receiving Blue Ribbon honors. Each has an economically disadvantaged population of 30.9 percent or greater. 

• Exemplary High-Performing Schools
  • Brownsville ISD – Putegnat Elementary School
  • Caddo Mills ISD – Kathryn Griffis Elementary School
  • Dallas ISD (2) – Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet School; Walnut Hill Elementary School
  • Dublin ISD – Dublin Elementary School 
  • George West ISD – George West Primary School
  • Grand Prairie ISD – Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy
  • Houston ISD (2) – Field Elementary School; Project Chrysalis Middle School
  • McAllen ISD – Sam Houston Elementary School
  • Rice CISD – Garwood Elementary School
  • Roma ISD – Emma Vera Elementary School
  • Valley View ISD – Wilbur E Lucas Elementary School
     
• Exemplary Achievement-Gap-Closing Schools
  • Brownsville ISD – Hubert R. Hudson Elementary School
  • Dallas ISD – Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary School
  • Hawkins ISD – Hawkins Elementary School
  • Hidalgo ISD – Hidalgo Park Elementary School
  • Idea Public Schools – Idea Quest College Preparatory School 
  • La Joya ISD – Elodia R. Chapa Elementary School
  • Laredo ISD (4) – H. B. Zachry Elementary School; Anita T. Dovalina Elementary School; Michael S. Ryan Elementary School; J. C. Martin Jr. Elementary School
  • Mission CISD – Hilda C. Escobar/Alicia C. Rios Elementary School
  • United ISD – Judith Zaffirini Elementary School
  • Valley View ISD – Valley View North Elementary School
  • The schools will be recognized by the Secretary of Education and the U.S. Department of Education at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. in November.

For more information about the national Blue Ribbon Schools program, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html. 

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