Meriden School Earns Connecticut Blue Ribbon Schools Distinction

MERIDEN, CT — A Meriden elementary school is among six schools in the state to be named 2026 Connecticut Blue Ribbon Schools, Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker announced Thursday.

The schools were selected by the Connecticut State Department of Education in recognition of “demonstrating high levels of academic excellence, creating inclusive and supportive learning environments, and advance strong outcomes for all students,” according to a news release.

The honorees include:

• Great Oak Elementary School in Oxford
• Nathan Hale School in Meriden
• New Lebanon School in Greenwich
• Ridgefield High School in Ridgefield
• Webster Hill School in West Hartford
• Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies Elementary Magnet School in Danbury

“Congratulations to these Connecticut schools on being selected for this honor and earning this well-deserved recognition,” Lamont said. “The success of these schools is an example of why Connecticut’s public schools continue to rank among the best in the nation and why we must continue supporting the educators and school communities working on behalf of our students every day.”

The Connecticut Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a state-operated initiative that replaces the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, which was discontinued by the U.S. Department of Education in 2025 after honoring schools on a nationwide basis during the previous four decades.

In response to the termination of the national program, Lamont and Russell-Tucker launched this state-operated program last year, “stressing the importance of recognizing and highlighting schools that are excelling in academic success,” according to the news release.

“What an amazing accomplishment and great honor for Nathan Hale, the Meriden Public Schools, and the entire City of Meriden,” Meriden Superintendent of Schools Mark D. Benigni said in a statement. “I am so proud of the students, staff, and families of Nathan Hale Elementary School. Their hard work, dedication, and persistence have paid off with the State’s highest education honor.

“Meriden now has seven Blue Ribbon Schools, and Nathan Hale joins John Barry and Israel Putnam Elementary Schools as recent recipients.”

The honorees were identified by CSDE using 2024-25 results from the Next Generation Accountability System. All selected schools were designated as Schools of Distinction. There are two categories of schools for this award—Exemplary High Performing and Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing, according to the news release. Five of the six schools were recognized in both categories.

“The Connecticut State Department of Education congratulates the six schools recognized as 2025-26 Connecticut Blue Ribbon Schools,” Russell-Tucker said. “This distinction reflects what is possible when educators, students, families, and communities come together to create supportive learning environments, showcase innovative practices that support student success, and demonstrate a strong commitment to unlocking lifelong potential for all students. Congratulations to this year’s award winners for their hard work, dedication, and continued commitment to excellence.”

An awards recognition will be held for the six schools on June 9 in West Hartford.

Lamont’s office provided the following information:

Nathan Hale School (Meriden) – Exemplary High Performing and Achievement Gap Closing

Nathan Hale School is one of 8 elementary schools serving the Meriden community. There are 463 students enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 5. The majority of students (83.8 %) are students with high needs. Since 2018-19, Nathan Hale School has earned School of Distinction status four times.

In 2024-25, the school earned its highest accountability index to date by earning 84.4% of possible points. This placed Nathan Hale among the top 10% of elementary and middle schools statewide. This level of performance was driven in part by ELA and math achievement for all students and students with high needs being the highest reported for this school since initial implementation of Smarter Balanced in 2014-15. In terms of academic growth, Nathan Hale School achieved distinction in every available category.

Nathan Hale joins John Barry School (2019) and Israel Putnam School (2024) as the third Meriden school earning the Blue Ribbon School award over the last 10 years. This is a point of pride for the district. Meriden’s efforts during this time to adjust its master schedule, implement additional accountability and support for teachers, and align efforts across schools has paid dividends.