La Porte ISD's Lomax Elementary School is one of 26 schools from across the state nominated as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2011. Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott nominated the campus for this honor.
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement. The U.S. Department of Education selects award recipients, and representatives from the honored schools are recognized at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Campuses recommended for nomination are selected through analysis of student assessment data. National Blue Ribbon Schools serve as models for other schools throughout the state and nation.
"The Commissioner of Education, once a year, selects what he believes are the 26 highest-performing campuses in the state for nomination to the Secretary of Education and President of the United States as National Blue Ribbon Schools," said Lloyd W. Graham, LPISD superintendent. "We are extremely proud of our Lomax Elementary faculty, staff and students for earning this recognition."
Graham made the announcement of Lomax Elementary's nomination at the Nov. 16 Board of Trustees meeting, noting that the school was selected from among 8,435 campuses in the state.
"It is such an honor to be nominated because it recognizes the hard work and dedication of our entire faculty and staff through the years," said Vickie Gentile, Lomax Elementary principal. "An award this prestigious could not occur without the dedication of employees past and present.
"Our next step will be the application process to the U.S. Dept. of Education for our consideration to become a Blue Ribbon School," Gentile continued. "We will proudly represent La Porte ISD in this endeavor."
The announcement of the 2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools will be made in September 2011. This year's 314 honorees, including 264 public and 50 private schools, were recognized at a ceremony in the nation's capital on Nov. 15 and 16, 2010.
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