Second time BJH recognized as National Blue Ribbon School

Butler School District 53’s Butler Junior High, was recognized today by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School. It is the second time that the school has been a recipient of the top honor and the only junior high in Illinois on the list. The honor is based on the school's high academic performance. Butler Junior High is one of 335 total schools that are being recognized - 285 public and 50 private schools. They join their sister school, Brook Forest, which was recognized just last fall as a Blue Ribbon School. Butler Junior High was first honored as a Blue Ribbon School in 2006. “When I told the kids this morning that we were the only junior high in the state honored, they didn’t believe me,” said Principal Amy Read. She also said that being a second time recipient is extremely rare. “This is validation of all of our efforts -- the staff, students, parents, community, administration and Board of Education – that our hard work is paying off. I hope it leads us to continue to grow and improve.” While there are only two schools in District 53, it is unusual for all schools in a District to receive the Blue Ribbon designation. It is the highest award given by the U.S. Education Department and demonstrates that our students achieve at the highest levels. “We are so proud of our students and staff and the wonderful commitment of our parents, Board and community,” said Superintendent Dr. Heidi Wennstrom. “This shows that our school community doesn’t rest on its laurels and continues to help children grow and achieve at the highest levels,” she said. Duncan’s announcement was lived streamed today and was shown to students during lunchtime. Butler Junior High will be honored at a recognition ceremony held Nov. 9-10, 2015 in Washington D.C. Read, Wennstrom and a teacher representative will attend. The National Blue Ribbon Schools award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools, where students perform at very high levels, or where significant improvements are being made in students’ levels of achievement. Butler was nominated as an Exemplary High Performing School, meaning it is among the state’s highest performing school and also has very high performance in smaller subgroups of students. In its application, Read noted that Butler is a dynamic educational environment where families and staff/faculty hold themselves and the school to the highest of standards. This has pushed the District to explore and invest in innovative curricular, technology and professional growth. As a result, learning, professional growth and faculty collaboration occur at top levels. To select National Blue Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Education requested nominations from the top education official in every state. For more information on the National Blue Ribbon Schools program, visit the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Arne Duncan’s video message to students included a photo of three Butler students.