Nine Georgia schools have earned the national Blue Ribbon recognition for 2021.

The Blue Ribbon is a recognition from the U.S. Department of Education. The Georgia schools named 2021 recipients of the honor are:

Bleckley County High School, a Bleckley County Public School

Crabapple Lane Elementary School, a Fayette County Public School
Johns Creek Elementary School, a Forsyth County Public School
Elite Scholars Academy School, a Clayton County Public School

Oakhurst Elementary School, a Decatur City Schools Public School
Fulton Science Academy, a private school in Fulton County
Riverview Elementary School, a Dawson County Public School

High Shoals Elementary School, an Oconee County Public School
Jefferson Middle School, a Jefferson City Schools Public School

The department of education recognizes schools in two performance categories:

Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.

Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest-performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The U.S. Dept. of Education invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

Thom Chandler

Website

Thom Chandler is the editor of The Georgia Sun and has been writing, editing and managing websites and blogs since 1995. He is a lifelong Georgian and one of those increasingly rare Atlanta natives.