Seven North Texas Schools Named 2022 National Blue Ribbon Winners

More schools in Texas have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools in 2022 than anywhere else in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The state has 31 campuses receiving the annual honor including seven in North Texas.

The DOE said the yearly recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced the recognized campuses on Friday during his Road to Success Back to School bus tour.

“I applaud all the honorees for the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award for creating vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school communities where students can learn, grow, reach their potential, and achieve their dreams,” said Secretary Cardona. “As our country continues to recover from the pandemic, we know that our future will only be as strong as the education we provide to all of our children. Blue Ribbon Schools have gone above and beyond to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. These schools show what is possible to make an enduring, positive difference in students’ lives.”

FOUR DALLAS SCHOOLS NAMED NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS

In North Texas, four of the seven schools named on the list are in Dallas including two in the Dallas Independent School District and two from the Dallas diocese.

In the Dallas ISD, the School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG) and the School of Science and Engineering (SEM) were both named to the prestigious list. The schools, the district said, are part of Yvonne A Ewell Townview Center, a complex of campuses in East Oak Cliff. TAG was previously named a National Blue Ribbon campus in 2003 and was named by Newsweek/The Daily Beast as the Best Public High School in the U.S. in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010 -- they were No. 2 in 2008 and 2011, and No. 3 in 2014. This is the third Blue Ribbon award for SEM.

The Diocese of Dallas' All Saints Catholic School, a PreK3 through 8th-grade campus in Far North Dallas that has twice before won the Blue Ribbon (2006 and 2015), and Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, a school for boys in grades 9-12, were both also named to the list.

The private schools were among only 24 private schools nationwide to receive the award this year.

“This award is indicative of the exemplary teaching our students receive every day,” said All Saints Principal Shana Druffner. “Great teachers make great schools, and we have great teachers. Due to their efforts, our students achieve excellence in their faith, academics, service, and character. As three-time recipients, we truly serve as a model for schools across the country.”

THREE OTHER SCHOOLS NAMED NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS

In addition to the four schools in Dallas named on the list, three other North Texas schools were also recognized as exemplary.

The Diocese of Fort Worth's St. John The Apostle Catholic School in North Richland Hills, the Grand Prairie ISD's Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute and the Denison ISD's Terrell Elementary School were also named winners in 2022.

The Grand Prairie ISD said having a school named to the National Blue Ribbon School list "affirms and validates the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in striving for – and attaining – exemplary achievement."

“We are extremely proud of the students and staff of Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute,” said Linda Ellis, Grand Prairie ISD superintendent. “This designation is the result of their commitment to educational excellence.”

The Fort Worth Diocese said St. John is receiving the honor for a second time, having last been named on the list in 2008. The diocese said this year St. John was recognized and commended for "its diverse student population, an exemplary outdoor education program and its exceptional Institute for Excellence in Writing."

“As Pastor at St. John the Apostle Parish and School, I am deeply grateful for the tremendous blessings Our Lord has given us in our families, our school’s staff, and the generous benefactors that support Catholic education at St. John and throughout our Diocese,” said Father Jack McKone, pastor of St. John the Apostle Parish.  

TEXAS NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON AWARD WINNERS

A full list of Texas schools is below. To see the national list, click here.

• Brownwood – East Elementary School, Brownwood Independent School District.
• Bynum – Bynum School, Bynum Independent School District.
• Claude – Claude School, Claude Independent School District.
• Dallas – All Saints Catholic School, Diocese of Dallas.
• Dallas – Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, Diocese of Dallas.
• Dallas – School for the Talented and Gifted, Dallas Independent School District.
• Dallas – School of Science and Engineering, Dallas Independent School District.
• DeKalb – DeKalb Elementary School, DeKalb Independent School District.
• Denison – Terrell Elementary School, Denison Independent School District.
• Devers – Devers Elementary School, Devers Independent School District.
• Earth – Springlake-Earth Elementary/Junior High School, Springlake-Earth Independent School District.
• Garden City – Garden City Elementary School, Glasscock County Independent School District.
• Grand Prairie – Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute, Grand Prairie Independent School District.
• Gruver – Gruver Elementary School, Gruver Independent School District.
• Gruver – Gruver Junior High School, Gruver Independent School District.
• Happy – Happy High School, Happy Independent School District.
• Houston – Kerr High School, Alief Independent School District.
• Houston – Saint Cecilia Catholic School, Archdiocese of Galveston Houston.
• Houston – Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic School, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
• Houston – St Anne Catholic School, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
• Midland – Early College High School at Midland College, Midland Independent School District.
• Muleshoe – Muleshoe High School, Muleshoe Independent School District.
• North Richland Hills – St. John The Apostle Catholic School, Dioceses of Fort Worth.
• Smyer – Smyer Schools, Smyer Independent School District.
• Somerset – Somerset Elementary School, Somerset Independent School District.
• Sonora – Sonora Secondary School, Sonora Independent School District.
• Three Rivers – Three Rivers Elementary School, Three Rivers Independent School District.
• Valley Mills – Valley Mills High School, Valley Mills Independent School District.
• Vega – Vega Elementary School, Vega Independent School District.
• Victoria – Nursery Elementary School, Nursery Independent School District.
• Wink – Wink Elementary School, Wink-Loving Independent School District.

Among the 273 public campuses recognized in 2022, 71% were elementary schools, 11% were middle schools and 15% were high schools. The remaining 3% were in K-12 schools. Among the 24 non-public schools recognized in 2022, 75% were elementary, none were middle schools, 21% were high schools and 4% were K-12 schools.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites nominations for the National Blue Ribbon Schools award from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education.