Indian Trail Named National Blue Ribbon School

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — For the first time since the district was formed, a school in North Shore School District 112 has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

Indian Trail Elementary School is the first Highland Park school to be awarded the prestigious designation in more than three decades.

"We are so excited to be recognized with such a prestigious award," Indian Trail Principal Maria Grable said in a statement. "It has been an honor and privilege working alongside the Indian Trail staff, students and community. This recognition truly affirms the hard work and commitment to our students' success."

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.

In Illinois, each of the 13 public schools to win the award, including Indian Trail, received it in the gap-closing category. Each of the eight private schools to receive the designation did so with its performance on academic assessments.

"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."

Excited to announce that @IndianTrailScho has been awarded a 2020 @NatlBlueRibbon. I am beyond grateful to lead with @grable_maria! This award represents the incredible work of our students, staff, and community! Proud to be a Tiger! #112Leads #NBRS2020 pic.twitter.com/bU9ePTQRW0
— Jacklyn Brandt (@jacklyngbrandt) September 24, 2020

The last time a Highland Park school received the Blue Ribbon award was before District 112 was created in 1993 by the merger of Districts 107, 108 and 111.

Elm Place received the award in 1983, Ravinia in 1986, Indian Trail, Lincoln and Oak Terrace in 1988 and Edgewood in 1989. Lincoln and Elm Place closed in 2018, and Indian Trail is now the first school in the district to twice receive the designation.

Indian Trail's Blue Ribbon Schools application describes the school's response to the closure:

In 2018, Indian Trail merged with a neighboring elementary school in our district due to both schools experiencing declining enrollment. It was important to us that we come together and identify as one school. The staff from both schools worked alongside each other to create a transition plan that supported students, families, and staff. We prioritized building positive relationships amongst staff through team building activities and devoted time for professional development sessions that allowed teams to build a shared understanding of professional learning communities and curriculum planning. This ensured staff had time to develop relationships with one another. We also provided numerous opportunities for students to forge friendships even before we began the next school year. Classes across schools were paired up to be pen pals so they could write letters and Skype with the whole class. We created experiences for grade level visits and students to meet their pen pals. We hosted a spring open house for our new incoming families to meet our current families, and student ambassadors provided guided tours around the school building. All of this intentional work brought the schools together as one school community. The parent comment, “Why didn’t we do this sooner?!” was great validation of our work considering our district community was very upset about the closing of schools initially and the process took over two years.

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An online awards ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 12 and Nov. 13, and schools will receive flags and plaques honoring their designation through the mail, according to the Education Department.

Superintendent Mike Lubelfeld praised the school community for winning District 112's first Blue Ribbon award in its history.

"I am proud of Indian Trail School for earning the highest honor for a school in the United States," Lubelfeld said in an email. "We are proud of our teachers, support staff, students, parents, Board of Education, Indian Trail administration and the entire North Shore School District 112 family."