Seven Bay Area schools are among the 28 in California recognized as 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona.
The prestigious designation is based on students’ graduation rates, academic performance and narrowing achievement gaps among students, according to the Department of Education.
The seven Bay Area schools awarded this year are:
- Dr. T.J. Owens Gilroy Early College Academy, Gilroy
- Burton Valley Elementary School, Lafayette
- Saint Simon Parish School, Los Altos
- Technology High School, Rohnert Park
- Ross Elementary School, Ross
- Chinese Immersion School at DeAvila, San Francisco
- Challenger School – Berryessa, San Jose
“We are ecstatic that GECA has been recognized with an award of this caliber,” said Gilroy Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Deborah A. Flores said in a statement Tuesday. “On behalf of the Board of Education, I want to commend the GECA staff and students for their commitment to educational excellence. We are proud of your efforts in the classroom and in our community.
“I am so proud of our students, faculty, and parents for all their hard work which resulted in our school receiving this honor,” said Ann Kozlovsky, principal of Saint Simon Parish School. “The last 18 months have been a difficult time during which our entire community has demonstrated incredible determination and resilience to provide an outstanding education for our children.”
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has honored more than 9,000 schools in its 39 years. The Department recognize 302 public and 23 private schools this year at an awards ceremony in Washington D.C. on Nov. 4 and 5.
