Loyal Heights Elementary receives prestigious recognition

One school in Washington state has chosen as a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School. That school is Loyal Heights Elementary, right here in Ballard.

State Superintendent Randy Dorn nominated Loyal Heights for the prestigious recognition last winter. “I’m very proud of the achievement and improvement that Loyal Heights has shown,” Dorn said. “Everybody in their school works hard and works together to make sure that all students learn.”

According to the press release, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors schools based on one of two criteria:

1. Schools whose students are high performing, regardless of their backgrounds, based on performance on state or nationally-normed tests; or

2. Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that improve student performance to high levels as measured by the school’s performance on state or nationally-normed tests.

Loyal Heights was honored for its high performing students.

A total of 304 schools were chosen and 413 schools were nominated nationally. “The total was determined by the number of schools and the student population in each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico,” the press release states. “Public schools are nominated by each state’s chief state school officer; private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.”