Four West Michigan Schools Receive National Blue Ribbon Recognition

Schools in Byron Center, East Grand Rapids, Grand Haven and Hudsonville are among a select group being honored as 2016 National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Thirteen schools in Michigan earned the honor along with a total of 279 public and 50 private schools nationwide.

The United States Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools in one of two categories: Exemplary High Performing Schools and Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools.

All 13 Michigan schools were honored in the Exemplary High Performing Schools category. The winners are:

• Deerfield Elementary School, Avondale School District
• Dodson Elementary School, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
• Gaines Elementary School, Swartz Creek Community Schools
• Griffin Elementary School, Grand Haven Area Public Schools
• Kingsley Area Elementary School, Kingsley Area Schools
• Lakeside School, East Grand Rapids Public Schools
• Lessenger Elementary School, Lamphere Public Schools
• Marshall Elementary School, Byron Center Public Schools
• Okemos Public Montessori-Central, Okemos Public Schools
• South Elementary School, Hudsonville Public School District
• Stevens T. Mason Elementary School, Grosse Pointe Public Schools
• Vera Ralya Elementary School, Haslett Public Schools
• Schroeder Elementary School, Troy School District

The schools were ranked on:

• Performance of all students and each of the school’s subgroups on state assessments.
• Attendance for elementary and middle schools.
• Graduation rate in high schools.

In its 34-year history, more than 8,000 schools have received the award.