Caledonia Elementary School was designated Friday as a 2014 National Blue Ribbon School, one of just two Mississippi schools to earn the prestigious honor and the only public school to achieve the distinction.
St. James Catholic School in Gulfport also made the list, which included 337 schools nation-wide.
Each state’s department of education nominates schools for the honor. The U.S. Department of Education picks the winners from those nominations. Caledonia was one of four schools nominated by the Mississippi Department of Education this year.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students either achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. The award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content.
“It’s a great honor for everyone at Caledonia Elementary School,” Lynn Wright, the district’s superintendent, said Friday. “We couldn’t be more proud.”
Wright said that a group from the school will travel to Washington, D.C., on Nov. 11-12 for the awards ceremony.
Since the program began 32 years ago, fewer than 8,000 schools have earned the coveted award.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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