Two Wyoming schools are included in the latest list of the U.S. Department of Education‘s National Blue Ribbon Schools.
Tongue River Elementary School in Ranchester and Powell Middle School were the only two schools in Wyoming selected for the list based on their academic performance or ability to close achievement gaps in groups of students.
Only 325 schools in the nation were chosen as “Blue Ribbon” winners.
Both schools were nominated due to their exemplary high performance.
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis celebrated the honor on social media on Wednesday.
“I am excited to meet staff from both schools in November when they travel to Washington, D.C., for a national awards ceremony celebrating their accomplishments!” she wrote.
In the nomination form for Tongue River, principal Anna Griffin wrote that everyone at the school considers themselves a part of one big family.
“Every child deserves the very best education and support,” she wrote. “We pride ourselves in the culture that has been created by students, staff and our community partnerships. Both in and out of our building, we have built a community of kindness and acceptance and work tirelessly to educate the whole child.”
Powell Middle School principal Kyle Rohrer praised the community’s hard work ethic, which he credits to the agricultural and ranching backgrounds of many of the students.
“The community is instilled with strong values, morals and ethics and is supportive of education,” he wrote.
According to the USDE, the Blue Ribbon program recognizes public and private elementary, middle and high schools. The program has been running since 1982.
Every year, the department seeks out and celebrates great American schools that demonstrate that all students can achieve to high levels. Since its inception, the program has bestowed more than 10,000 awards to over 9,000 schools, with some schools winning multiple awards.
The award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. The National Blue Ribbon School flag gracing an entry or flying overhead is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.
Just over 300 public schools were chosen as Blue Ribbon winners this year, while 23 non-public schools won.
