Arnett C. Lines Elementary School in Barrington was one of 20 schools in Illinois to be recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the federal government.
The honor was announced in a news release Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Education and officials from Barrington School District 220, which Lines is part of, immediately extolled the award.
“This award signifies the work of many stakeholders over multiple years. Earning the Blue Ribbon is a community effort, from the support of district personnel to the partnership of every Lines household, along with the efforts of every student and staff member. I could not be more proud because our job as educators is to create a learning environment that promotes lifelong learning for all of our students. It is wonderful to have Barrington nationally recognized!” Lines Principal Kenneth Hyllberg said in a SD220 news release announcing the Blue Ribbon honor.
Lines is among the 353 schools nationwide to be honored with this education accolade. The elementary school also earned the Blue Ribbon Award in 1994 and 2008, SD220 officials stated in the release. For this latest award, the school will be honored by the U.S. Department of Education Nov. 16 and Nov. 17 in Washington, D.C.
The National Blue Ribbon designation is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups on assessments, U.S. Department of Education officials explained in a news release.
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The release states that over the years, some 10,000 Blue Ribbon awards have been awarded to over 9,700 schools. The honor “affirms and validates the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in striving for – and attaining – exemplary achievement,” Education Department officials stated in the release.
There were two categories in which a school could be nominated for the Blue Ribbon: Exemplary High Performing Schools, which consider state and national test scores; and Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools, where disparities in academic achievement metrics among the schools’ various student groups are narrowed.
Lines, with its enrollment of 500 students in kindergarten to fifth grade, won in the Exemplary High Performing Schools category.
“We are very proud of the academic accomplishment of Arnett C. Lines Elementary School to win the US Department of Education – Blue Ribbon Award for the third time,” SD220 Superintendent Craig Winkelman stated in the release. “The students benefit from the outstanding staff and supportive parents, which results in excellence that occurs each day in our classrooms.”
SD220 schools have now earned a total of 12 National Blue Ribbon School awards, according to the district news release. The district enrolls nearly 8,100 students in pre-K to 12th grade across 12 schools, including Barrington High School – the only high school in the district.
Lines and Grove Avenue Elementary schools have each received the designation three times. In all, six of the district’s eight K to 5 schools have received National Blue Ribbon honors. Roslyn Road Elementary School was the last to receive the national accolade back in 2019.
“The honorees for our 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award have set a national example for what it means to Raise the Bar in education,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona stated in the Dept. of Education release. “The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
“As the Biden-Harris Administration partners with states and schools to accelerate academic success and transform educational opportunity in this country, we take tremendous pride in the achievements of these schools and their commitment to empowering educators, serving students, and engaging families.”