Five Georgia public schools receive 2023 National Blue Ribbon recognition

Five Georgia public schools have been recognized as 2023 national Blue Ribbon Schools. 

Blue Ribbon is a national recognition from the U.S. Department of Education (USED). The Georgia schools named 2023 recipients of the honor are:

• Robert A. Cross Middle School, Dougherty County School District
• Harris Elementary School, Gwinnett County Public Schools
• Westside Middle School, Whitfield County Schools
• Pharr Elementary School, Gwinnett County Public Schools
• Quail Run Elementary School, Houston County School District

“National Blue Ribbon Schools are among the best schools in the nation,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “I am enormously proud of the educators and students at the five Georgia public schools and extend my sincere congratulations to all. Each of these schools has created an encouraging atmosphere for learning throughout their schools, and they represent our state on the national stage with great distinction.”

USED 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. USED invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education officials 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 through a separate process by the Council for American Private Education (CAPE).​