Barnsley Elementary Selected As Maryland Blue Ribbon School

ROCKVILLE, MD — Montgomery County's Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary School in Rockville was one of six schools honored by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Salmon as a 2019-2020 Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools.

The school was recognized as an Exemplary High Performing School, which puts it in at least the top 15 percent of all schools in Maryland based on state assessment scores in math and English language arts (ELA).

Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary, located at 14516 Nadine Drive, is the first school in Maryland to be named after a woman. According to the state, there are 746 kindergarten through grade 5 students. Nearly half of students represent socioeconomically disadvantaged families, special needs students, or English language learners. It is also the only elementary school in Montgomery County with a Gifted and Talented Learning Disabled (GTLD) program.

"I want to thank our outstanding and dedicated staff for all they do on a daily basis to help our school be successful. Without them there would be no opportunity to receive this recognition," Principal Adam J. Winter wrote in a letter to parents. "I want to thank you, our parents and partners, in working to build our exceptional school" ... "Most importantly, I thank our students for their passion for learning, their ambition, and desire to succeed for without these traits we see daily this achievement would not be possible."

Here are all the 2019-2020 Blue Ribbon Schools from Maryland:

• Cash Valley Elementary School, Allegany County
• Jacksonville Elementary School, Baltimore County
• Hampstead Elementary School, Carroll County
• Mount View Middle School, Howard County
• Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary School, Montgomery County
• Bayside Elementary School, Queen Anne's County.

"We are proud to have some of the best schools in America, and today, we are recognizing the very best of the best," Hogan said. "These schools are proof that with strong collaboration between dedicated educators, families, and communities, we can close the achievement gap, prepare our students, and give Maryland's children hope for a better future."

Each school will receive a Maryland Blue Ribbon Flag, a cash prize, $1,000 worth of office supplies, interactive technology equipment, and a school congratulations party. A dinner will be held in Annapolis in honor of the winning schools on March 2.

The schools will also be invited to apply to be National Blue Ribbon Schools.