3 Long Island schools named National Blue Ribbon winners
The Amagansett School at 320 Main St. in Amagansett. Credit: Google
Three Long Island schools were named National Blue Ribbon winners for their academic excellence by the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday.
The schools, Amagansett School in the Amagansett district, George A. Jackson Elementary School in the Jericho district and Denton Avenue Elementary School in New Hyde Park in the Herricks district, were announced Tuesday afternoon by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
The schools were among 22 named statewide and 353 across the country. Last year, four Long Island schools received the honor.
"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,” Cardona said in a statement.
Blue Ribbon recognizes schools in two categories: those with superior graduation rates and test scores, and those with exemplary records in closing achievement gaps between students of different races, ethnicities and economic backgrounds. The Long Island schools were honored as exemplary high-performing schools.
When Denton Avenue Principal Dominick Tolipano announced the news to staff and students Tuesday, he could hear celebratory shouts throughout the building. “I was just thrilled for the faculty and the community,” he said. “Our teachers wear their hearts on their sleeves and really take an interest in every single child.”
Tolipano said staff helped put together the complex application for the designation, with each member of the faculty sharing their experience on what makes the school — which enrolls about 600 students in grades kindergarten through fifth — succeed.
“We really place an emphasis on the whole child, not only academically but socially and emotionally as well,” he said.
Alex Rivera, principal of the K-5 George A. Jackson Elementary School that enrolls about 450 children, called the award a “testament to our hardworking teachers,” but also said that the community played a role.
“The parents are really our partners,” he said. “They are truly supportive of us.” The district never fails to provide the resources that students need, he added.
The Amagansett school is a one-building district that enrolls about 125 students in grades pre-K to sixth on Long Island’s East End.
Superintendent Seth Turner said the application process took about a year. The school initially qualified as an exemplary academic school because its students finished in the top 15% of state assessments, he said. Then, staff worked to complete the application.
“We were hopeful,” Turner said after the application was submitted. The official word came after 1 p.m. Tuesday. “We couldn’t be more proud of this national Blue Ribbon designation,” he added.
Representatives from each school will travel to Washington, D.C., in November to be honored.
“The National Blue Ribbon School recognition is significant in that it not only recognizes schools for their efforts to foster premier learning environments but also demonstrates that increasing access to high-quality opportunities paves the way for improved learning," state education Commissioner Betty Rosa said in a statement.
Applications for Blue Ribbon typically require months of preparation by school employees and supporters. Now in its 40th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,700 schools both public and private.
Joie Tyrrell is a Long Island native and covers education for Newsday, where she has worked since 1998.
