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Washington,DC (KELO AM) – U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today applauded Howard Elementary School in Howard, Medary Elementary School in Brookings, O’Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, and Timber Lake High School in Timber Lake for receiving the National Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education. The schools are part of 337 nationwide winners of the award, which honors both public and private schools with high levels of achievement.
“Receiving a National Blue Ribbon Award is a tremendous honor given to the best schools in the country,” said Johnson. “I congratulate the principals, teachers, education support staff, and students for this achievement and their continued dedication to education. All of South Dakota can be proud of the high academic standard set by these schools.”
To be eligible for National Blue Ribbon Award recognition, schools must have either excellent student performance or have made large improvements in student performance and reduced achievement gaps.
Two representatives from each school will be invited by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to represent their school in Washington, DC at the awards ceremony on November 10th and 11th where they will receive a Blue Ribbon Schools plaque and flag.
Established in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program is part of a larger effort by the U.S. Department of Education to both identify and promote outstanding leadership and teaching practices throughout the nation.