Bucks Co. Elementary School Earns U.S. Blue Ribbon Honor

PIPERSVILLE, PA — Three Bucks County schools were honored as Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday, including one in Pipersville. The award recognizes a school’s overall academic performance as well the commitment by staff to help students succeed.

In all, 325 schools were named to the 2021 list. Now in its 39th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has given approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.

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Tinicum Elementary School in the Palisades School District has been named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence for 2021. Tinicum Elementary School serves about 170 students from kindergarten through fifth grade.

Saint Andrew Catholic School in Newtown and St. Ignatius of Antioch School in Yardley were also named Blue Ribbon Schools by the Department of Education. Both are run by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year, according to the Department of Education. Nominees are selected by top education officials in states and territories, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

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Blue Ribbon Schools are then selected based on their performance in one of two categories:

• Exemplary High-Performing Schools: These are among a state's highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
• Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools: These are among a state's highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between all other students and according to a school's student groups.

Schools are also selected based on student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates.

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This year's nominees "illustrate what is possible" during tough times, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a news release.

"I commend this school and all our Blue Ribbon honorees for working to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs," Cardona said in the release. "In the face of unprecedented circumstances, you found creative ways to engage, care for, protect, and teach our children."

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