Centerville’s J.A. Taylor Elementary and Park City’s Jeremy Ranch Elementary were named National Blue Ribbon Schools on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education.
The annual awards — which include 342 public and private schools — honor campuses that either achieve high performance levels on state and national tests, or succeed at closing achievement gaps between demographic groups.
In a prepared statement, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos called the award winners “visionaries, innovators and leaders.”
“National Blue Ribbon Schools are active demonstrations of preparing every child for a bright future,” DeVos said.
Taylor Elementary received the award in 1988 and is now the only public school in Utah to be twice included in the list of National Blue Ribbon Schools.
The school’s principal, Chris Laypath, said in a prepared statement that the honor is a byproduct of a culture of high expectations at the school.
“We have a wonderful community of teachers, students, parents and staff members that are passionate about our school and contribute to its overall excellence,” Laypath said. “I am so proud of our Taylor Mustangs and what we have achieved.”