Four Colorado schools win national Blue Ribbon recognition

A large stone, school building outside with a cloudy, blue sky in the background.
DSST: Cedar High School, housed in this building, was one of Colorado four schools named 2024 Blue Ribbon Schools on Monday. (Courtesy of DSST: Cedar Middle & High School)

Four Colorado schools are among more than 350 nationwide to be named 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools for high achievement or progress in narrowing achievement gaps.

Zach Elementary in Fort Collins and DSST Cedar High School in Denver won the designation for achievement on state math and literacy tests. Mesa View Elementary in Grand Junction and Skyview Middle in Pueblo West won for shrinking test score gaps between student subgroups and the overall student body

The U.S. Department of Education announced the Blue Ribbon schools on Monday. Of the four Colorado winners, one is a charter school — DSST Cedar, which is a part of Denver’s largest charter school network. Private schools are eligible for Blue Ribbon designation, but none were among the Colorado recipients this year.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona talked about the significance of the Blue Ribbon Schools designation during a recorded speech on Monday.

“It means that your school is the pride of your community and the model for schools across the nation,” he said.

The first set of Blue Ribbon awards were given out in 1983, and four to six Colorado schools typically win the designations every year. Last year, two schools in the Denver metro area, a school on the Eastern Plains, and a school in Western Colorado earned the awards.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

The Latest

Some educators said they feared the loss of funding and support if Trump closed the U.S. Department of Education. Others said they would welcome an end to red tape and bureaucratic rules.

Penny Schwinn would bring the perspective of a state schools chief to her job.

Many students are already studying for the fall 2025 SHSAT, but digital practice tests won’t be available on the Education Department’s website until the end of March, officials said.

In the second week of the legislative session, lawmakers revealed key details of their property tax proposal and discussed raising pay for teachers.

Nearly a quarter of students in grades 3-8 were proficient on the most recent district assessments.

Debilitating pain turned me into a student I didn’t recognize. Here’s how I got back on track.