The U.S. Department of Education has named eight schools - including six from Brainerd - as National Blue Ribbon Schools.
The designation is one of the highest honors handed out by the federal education department and signifies exemplary progress in closing the achievement gap and overall academic performance.
Minnesota schools picking up the designation for overall excellence include: Battle Lake Secondary in the Battle Lake School District; and Baxter, Lowell and Nisswa Elementarys, all in the Brainerd Public School District.
For their efforts in closing the achievement gap, the Blue Ribbon schools in Minnesota are: Atwater Cosmos Grove City Elementary; and Garfield, Riverside and Harrison Elementary, all from Brainerd.
More than 330 schools received the National Blue Ribbon School Award on Tuesday.
"These great schools are fulfilling the promise of American education—that all students, no matter their name or zip code, can flourish when schools provide safe, creative, and challenging learning environments," U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said. "National Blue Ribbon Schools are models of consistent excellence and a resource for other schools and districts. We celebrate them for their tireless effort and boundless creativity in reaching and teaching every student."
It's unusual for a school district to pick up so many designations in one award cycle. But the Brainerd Public School District did just that - a feat noted by Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius.
"We're seeing something unique in this year's winners—multiple winning schools from a single district in a single year, or in recent years. That tells us these schools have figured out something special and important: how to move the needle not for just the kids in one school, but for kids in schools across the district," she said.
