Sprague Honored as Blue Ribbon School

Sprague Elementary School has been named a 2010 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, a distinction that puts it in the company of just seven other schools in the state.

The honor, announced by Sec. of Education Arne Duncan in Washington on Sept. 9, recognizes schools for either high academic achievement or significant improvement in performance.

"It's incredible," Principal Dr. Steven Goodwin told parents at a PTO meeting at the school Tuesday morning. "Incredible."

"And what's underneath the headline is 100 stories of individual students learning and doing their best everyday," he said.

While Superintendent Bella T. Wong said her office still has not been officially notified of the honor, the school is among those on the official list which includes just five other elementary schools in Massachusetts.

Those are, Bridge Elementary School in Lexington, Sanborn Elementary School in Andover, Stratton Elementary School in Arlington and Vinson-Owen Elementary School in Winchester and Ste Jeanne d'Arc School in Lowell. 

Other winners in Massachusetts are Boston Latin Academy and John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Boston.  This year, 254 public schools and 50 private school were awarded the Blue Ribbon across the United States as part of the Department of Education's effort over the past 28 years to identify high performing schools.

This year's winners will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in November.

For a complete list of award winners across the country, visit the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Program website at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/awards.html.