Centerville Elementary School Earns National Blue Ribbon Award
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today recognized 342 National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2017. Among them is Frederick County’s own Centerville Elementary School. Centerville achieved this recognition under Principal Tracy Hilliard’s leadership in collaboration with the school’s entire staff and family and community members, says Mark Pritts, who oversees more than a dozen elementary schools, including Centerville.
Rigorous state and national requirements for high achievement and significant improvement serve as the basis for Blue Ribbon School selection. The award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement especially among disadvantaged and minority students. Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals, including those that beat the odds.
“We are so excited to receive this news!” said Dr. Terry Alban, FCPS Superintendent. “Centerville is an exemplary school. The school’s administrators, teachers, staff, students, and families have truly created an outstanding environment for learning. Centerville couples awesome academic achievement with superior community engagement. That is an award-winning formula for success.”
Last December Centerville was named one of just six Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools, receiving a proclamation from the Governor as well as a Maryland Blue Ribbon School Flag, gifts and prizes for classroom use. Centerville has met the state’s criteria as a school that has demonstrated high achievement over a five-year period and ranks in the state’s top 10 percent on Maryland assessments in reading and math. About 960 students attend the school, which has 102 staff members.
Centerville Elementary will be honored among the other award winners at an awards ceremony November 6-7 in Washington, D.C. In the past 35 years, more than 8,500 schools nationwide have received this coveted award. Frederick County Public Schools claims 10 of them. The other Frederick County public schools that have received national Blue Ribbon School awards are: Kemptown Elementary—2015, New Market Elementary—2010, Windsor Knolls Middle—2002, Middletown Middle—1998, Yellow Springs Elementary—1994, Frederick High and Linganore High—1993, Gov. Thomas Johnson High—1991, Middletown Elementary—1990 and Middletown High—1987.
More information is online at http://www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools.
