Two Jacksonville Schools Get Blue Ribbon Award

JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville’s West Side Elementary and Fred Douglass Elementary Schools were two of the twenty-five Texas schools that have been named 2010 Blue Ribbon Schools award winners by the U.S. Department of Education. JISD officials say the two schools are the only East Texas schools to be awarded the prestigious designation. According to the officials, with only 25 statewide qualifying, the award puts two of the top 1% of elementary campuses in the state in Jacksonville ISD. The award honors schools that achieved academic excellence or made significant progress in closing the achievement gap.

Schools that receive the award will be recognized at the Blue Ribbon Schools conference in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 15-16 — where each recipient will receive a plaque and a flag signifying its status as a Blue Ribbon School.