U.S. Department of Education
Office of Communications & Outreach, Press Office
400 Maryland Ave., S.W.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona today recognized 297 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2022, including 31 schools in Texas. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Secretary Cardona made the announcement during his Road to Success Back to School bus tour.

The Texas schools named as National Blue Ribbon Schools were:

• Texas – Brownwood – East Elementary School, Brownwood Independent School District.
• Texas – Bynum – Bynum School, Bynum Independent School District.
• Texas – Claude – Claude School, Claude Independent School District.
• Texas – Dallas – All Saints Catholic School, Diocese of Dallas.
• Texas – Dallas – Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, Diocese of Dallas.
• Texas – Dallas – School for the Talented and Gifted, Dallas Independent School District.
• Texas – Dallas – School of Science and Engineering, Dallas Independent School District.
• Texas – DeKalb – DeKalb Elementary School, DeKalb Independent School District.
• Texas – Denison – Terrell Elementary School, Denison Independent School District.
• Texas – Devers – Devers Elementary School, Devers Independent School District.
• Texas – Earth – Springlake-Earth Elementary/Junior High School, Springlake-Earth Independent School District.
• Texas – Garden City – Garden City Elementary School, Glasscock County Independent School District.
• Texas – Grand Prairie – Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute, Grand Prairie Independent School District.
• Texas – Gruver – Gruver Elementary School, Gruver Independent School District.
• Texas – Gruver – Gruver Junior High School, Gruver Independent School District.
• Texas – Happy – Happy High School, Happy Independent School District.
• Texas – Houston – Kerr High School, Alief Independent School District.
• Texas – Houston – Saint Cecilia Catholic School, Archdiocese of Galveston Houston.
• Texas – Houston – Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic School, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
• Texas – Houston – St Anne Catholic School, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
• Texas – Midland – Early College High School at Midland College, Midland Independent School District.
• Texas – Muleshoe – Muleshoe High School, Muleshoe Independent School District.
• Texas – North Richland Hills – St. John The Apostle Catholic School, Dioceses of Fort Worth.
• Texas – Smyer – Smyer Schools, Smyer Independent School District.
• Texas – Somerset – Somerset Elementary School, Somerset Independent School District.
• Texas – Sonora – Sonora Secondary School, Sonora Independent School District.
• Texas – Three Rivers – Three Rivers Elementary School, Three Rivers Independent School District.
• Texas – Valley Mills – Valley Mills High School, Valley Mills Independent School District.
• Texas – Vega – Vega Elementary School, Vega Independent School District.
• Texas – Victoria – Nursery Elementary School, Nursery Independent School District.
• Texas – Wink – Wink Elementary School, Wink-Loving Independent School District.

“I applaud all the honorees for the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award for creating vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school communities where students can learn, grow, reach their potential, and achieve their dreams,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “As our country continues to recover from the pandemic, we know that our future will only be as strong as the education we provide to all of our children. Blue Ribbon Schools have gone above and beyond to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. These schools show what is possible to make an enduring, positive difference in students’ lives.”

With its 39th cohort, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools. The National Blue Ribbon School award affirms and validates the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in striving for – and attaining – exemplary achievement.

National Blue Ribbon Schools serve as models of effective school practices for state and district educators and other schools throughout the nation. A National Blue Ribbon School flag gracing a school’s entryway or on a flagpole is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.

The Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:

• Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
• Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites nominations for the National Blue Ribbon Schools award from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photographs and brief descriptions of the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools are available at https://www.nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/.

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