Wilmette Schools Win Blue Ribbon Award Of Excellence

WILMETTE, IL — The U.S. Department of Education Thursday announced that 25 Illinois schools are among the winners of the 2017 National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence, which recognize exceptional academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among groups of students. Four schools on the North Shore were recognized, including two in Wilmette and two in Deerfield.

According to the Department of Education, the honors are based on all student scores on state assessments or nationally normed tests. The state’s top-testing schools are considered exemplary high performing schools, while exemplary achievement gap closing schools are among their state's highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school's subgroups and all students over the past five years. Nationwide, 342 schools were recognized for the award, which has been given annually since 1982.

In Wilmette, District 39's Romona Elementary School and St. Joseph School, a Catholic elementary school, were both awarded the Blue Ribbon. St. Joseph's Principal Michael Kendrick said staff is "super excited" about the recognition, the school's first in the award's 35-year history.

"This is really a reflection of the academic excellence that happens here at St. Joseph’s School, and it shows how much work our teachers put in, and how dedicated our students are to their education," Kendrick told Patch. "We’re just happy that we’re part of the recognition." He said the school plans to celebrate the award at Wilmette's Village Hall on Nov. 10 and invited members of the community to come along.

Romona Principal Principal Cindy Anderson was also thrilled with the news.

"I am so proud that Romona is being recognized in this way," Anderson said. "The wonderful Romona spirit comes from our students, faculty, staff, and parents. We have an amazing team that makes this school so special!"

District 39 Superintendent Ray Lechner commended the school, which was also awarded Blue Ribbon recognition back in 2006. “Every member of the team – faculty, staff, principal, and assistant principal, as well as all the Romona students and their parents – deserve to be recognized for their part in this achievement,” Lechner said. “To win this award once is a testament to excellence; to win it twice is an extraordinary accomplishment. It is most well-deserved!”

"National Blue Ribbon Schools are active demonstrations of preparing every child for a bright future," Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said, addressing honorees. "You are visionaries, innovators and leaders. You have much to teach us: some of you personalize student learning, others engage parents and communities in the work and life of your local schools and still others develop strong and forward-thinking leaders from among your teaching staff."

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. Private schools are nominated by The Council for American Private Education, while the Department of Education invites top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education to submit nominees.

_{Top photo: Students at Romona Elementary School in Wilmette | Credit: Holly Goldin}