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Two schools in Jackson receive national honor
By John Higgins
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2009
The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday morning named schools in Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Louisville, Jackson Township and Wooster among this year's 314 national Blue Ribbon schools.
Local schools among 19 in Ohio receiving the award are:
• Seton Catholic School in Hudson.
• St. Joseph School in Cuyahoga Falls.
• Fairhope Elementary School in Louisville.
• Jackson High School and Lake Cable Elementary School in Jackson Township.
• Kean Elementary School in Wooster.
The Blue Ribbon Schools program honors public and private schools that achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests (private schools must achieve in the top 10 percent of the nation on nationally normed tests).
Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that demonstrate dramatic improvement of student performance to high levels on state tests or nationally normed tests also qualify for the award.
This year's winners — 264 public and 50 private — will be honored at an awards ceremony Nov. 3 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., where each school will receive a plaque and a flag.
Seton Catholic School held a schoolwide assembly Tuesday afternoon to inform the students and teachers once the news was official.
Parents found out later when they came to pick up their children.
''We did put some blue ribbons out
on the trees along Stow Road and a couple of balloons,'' said communications director Patricia Fritz. ''We have a long time to celebrate, but it's that day of hearing the announcement that's so fun.''
The independent, regional private school enrolls 410 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, serving 20 communities in Northeast Ohio.
Deacon Robert Kochanski, the principal of St. Joseph School, said he was especially pleased that two Catholic schools in the area received the honor because private schools compete for just 50 awards.
He said he always knew the school, which enrolls 330 students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade, was good, but now it will be considered a model for other schools around the country.
''We were just thrilled by that,'' Kochanski said. ''The bar is fairly high for us.''
He said the school is busy making a banner, T-shirts and lawn signs for families.
''We're going all out with this,'' he said.
Fairhope Elementary School in Louisville was the only area school to win in the second category for showing dramatic improvement. To meet this, at least 40 percent of students must qualify for federal free and reduced-priced lunches because of low family income.
At Fairhope, that describes about 45 percent of its 334 students, according to the most recent state report card.
The school's most dramatic increase in test scores was in fourth grade, with 100 percent passing reading and writing this year compared with 89.6 percent who passed reading and 95.8 percent who passed writing in 2006-2007.
''All the test scores were really great,'' Principal Michele Shaffer said. ''I can't say enough about my staff.''
She started at the school 25 years ago as a special education teacher and became principal 15 years ago. The school will celebrate the award Oct. 9.
''We're going to try to explain to the kids what that award really, truly means,'' Shaffer said.
The Jackson school district had two reasons to celebrate Tuesday because the high school and Lake Cable Elementary School were named, both for high academic achievement.
''I have the most talented, passionate staff that anybody could have,'' Lake Cable Elementary Principal Kathleen Clark said. ''It's because of them and the kids that we got it.''
Each state education agency administers its own program for selecting public schools to be nominated to the national level. Private schools are nominated by the Council of American Private Education.
For the past 27 years, more than 6,150 of America's schools have received the award.
In 2007, Aurora High, Dalton High, Longcoy Elementary in Kent and Parkview Elementary in Wooster were named Blue Ribbon schools.
In 2005, Old Trail School in Bath Township and Genoa Ele-mentary in Perry received the honor.
Other area Blue Ribbon winners this decade were: St. Paul School in North Canton; St. Hilary School in Fairlawn; Walsh Jesuit High School in Stow; and Woodridge Middle School in Peninsula.
John Higgins can be reached at 330-996-3792 or jhiggins@thebeaconjournal.com.
The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday morning named schools in Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Louisville, Jackson Township and Wooster among this year's 314 national Blue Ribbon schools.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 09:38 AM, 09/16/2009
no schools from Akron won this award? Color me shocked
Posted 12:55 PM, 09/16/2009
Where are NW schools - NOT! Thanks voters!
akron , oh
Posted 01:03 PM, 09/16/2009
This says volumes for akron public schools
Hooterville, Oh
Posted 02:11 PM, 09/16/2009
What do all these schools (districts) have in common? They are all affluent areas with parents that involved in their children’s education as well as their general wellbeing. You don’t see Akron, Barberton, Canton, Cleveland schools in here do you? That’s because most of those kids come from one parent families and those parents (mostly mothers and grandmothers) are too busy eating from the government’s troth to worry about the little things like their kids education.
Akron, OH
Posted 02:36 PM, 09/16/2009
Shehateme, not true...not all parents of children who live in Akron are the way that describe them. I live in Akron because I'm NOT rich but I do send my kids to private schools in the Akron area because this is where I LIVE. I have three sons and I am MARRIED to their father. You're making a generalization that isn't true in every case. There are plenty of working class/middle class people in Akron who DO care. Just because all you see are the idiots, it doesn't mean that everyone around them are like them. I want what's best for my children too but just because I'm not rich (although I went to college and earned a degree) or don't reside in STOW or another affluent suburb, it doesn't make me any less of a caring parent than those who do. WOW
President of the Eric Mangini Fan Club, .
Posted 02:37 PM, 09/16/2009
I think Cleveland had one of the public academies on this list.
Plus, you also don't see districts like Solon, Hudson, Kenston, etc. It's not just Akron with zero showing.
