Local Private School Gets Blue Ribbon Nod

LAKE VILLA, IL — A parochial school in Lake Villa is among a select few schools nationwide that have been picked as Blue Ribbon winners.

The 2021 National Blue Ribbon School award recipients were announced Tuesday and included Prince of Peace Catholic School in Lake Villa. Other suburban schools picked as 2021 Blue Ribbon School winners include: Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, Braeside Elementary School in Highland Park, Maple School in Northbrook, Walter Sundling Junior High School in Palatine, Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest and Lincoln Middle School in Park Ridge.

The federal government started the Blue Ribbon education awards in 1982. They are available to up to 420 schools every year, with individual schools eligible for nomination every five years. This year, 317 public schools and 50 private schools received the designation nationwide. They included 21 schools in Illinois, according to the Education Department.

The Blue Ribbon designation is available to two categories of nominee: "Exemplary High Performing Schools," where students score the highest on standardized tests, and "Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools," which have shown success in narrowing academic disparities among students.

The full list of selections can be found here.

"Congratulations to this year's National Blue Ribbon School awardees," Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said Thursday in a statement announcing the winners. "It's a privilege to recognize the extraordinary work you do to meet students' needs and prepare them for successful careers and meaningful lives."