Newtown Catholic School Earns U.S. Blue Ribbon Honor

NEWTOWN, PA — Three Bucks County schools were honored as Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday, including one in Newtown. 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.

Saint Andrew Catholic School in Newtown has been named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence for 2021.

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Saint Andrew is a preschool and elementary school that serves students who live in Council Rock, Pennsbury, Neshaminy, Central Bucks, New Hope-Solebury, Bensalem, Bristol, Centennial and New Jersey school districts, according to its website.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s St. Ignatius of Antioch School in Yardley and Tinicum Elementary School in the Palisades School District were also named Blue Ribbon Schools by the Department of Education.

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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