Texas schools won Blue Ribbon honors for 2024. Was your child’s school listed?
Texas had 31 different education institutions named Blue Ribbon Schools this year.
This honor is only awarded to 356 schools in 46 states this year. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a program of the U.S. Department of Education to recognize outstanding public, non-public, elementary, middle, and high schools across the country. Schools are awarded a blue ribbon for exemplary achievement in closing education gaps or for overall exemplary high performance.
“Since its inception in 1982, the goals of the program are to shine a spotlight on the best schools in the United States and to share best practices of outstanding schools across the country,” according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The Council for American Private Education nominates non-public schools. The Chief State School Officer in each state, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education nominate public schools. It is required that at least one-third of public schools have a minimum of 40%students with disadvantaged backgrounds.
North Texas alone is home to about seven of the Blue Ribbon schools. Not to mention five North Texas high schools were named as best in the nation earlier this year by U.S. World and Report.
Let’s take a look at all 31 Blue Ribbon schools in Texas.
Texas elementary schools
Abraham Kazen Elementary School
Laredo
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools
Total number of students: 364
Title I School (Title I schools receive supplemental funding from the federal government to improve education programs for students from low-income families, according to Texas Education Agency.)
Ambassadors Preparatory Academy
Galveston
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools
Total number of students: 162
Title I School, Charter school (A Title 1 Charter School is a tuition free public school open to all students that also received federal funding, according to TEA.)
Archer City
High Performance and GAP Closing
Total number of students: 291
Title I School
Bob L. Kirksey Elementary School
Booker
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 171
Title I School
Brownsville
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 538
Title I School, Charter School
Tyler
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools
Total number of students: 611
Title I School, Magnet School (Magnet Schools give students access to college preparatory courses and specialized curricula, according to Dallas ISD.)
Christ the Redeemer Catholic School
Houston
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 467
Non-public (Non-public schools are private or religious schools that do not receive government funding, according to TEA.)
Farmers Branch
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 489
Title I School
Flatonia
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 313
Title I School
Florence J. Scott Elementary School
Roma
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 508
Title I School
Gus Winston Cain Elementary School
Whitehouse
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 523
Title I School
Longview
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 505
Title I School, Charter School
Jesus A. Kawas Elementary School
Laredo
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 300
Title I School
Lubbock
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 301
Title I School, Charter School
Robert B. Green Elementary at Riverside Park
San Antonio
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools
Total number of students: 132
Title I School
Saint John Paul II Catholic School
Houston
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 714
Non-public
Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic School
Plano
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 546
Non-public
Pearland
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 380
Non-public
St. Philip’s School & Community Center
Dallas
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 285
Non-public
Middle schools
Hillsboro
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools
Total number of students: 274
Title I School
Vanderbuilt
HP and GAP
Total number of students: 280
Title I School
Whitewright
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools
Total number of students: 184
Title I School
Texas high schools
Alief Early College High School
Houston
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 406
Title I School, Choice School (Choice school allows for students to select a specific pathway while still learning the required curriculum, according to Burleson ISD.)
De Leon
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools
Total number of students: 203
Title I School
Grapevine-Colleyville Collegiate Academy at Tarrant County College Northeast
Hurst
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools
Total number of students: 360
Title I School, Choice School
Gruver
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 151
Title I School
Mertzon
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools
Total number of students: 137
Title I School
Palestine
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools
Total number of students: 146
Title I School
Quanah
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools
Total number of students: 143
Title I School
Texas K-12 schools
Jayton
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 177
Title I School
Nazareth
Exemplary High Performing Schools
Total number of students: 244
Title I School