Hospers, Iowa — Hospers Elementary in the MOC/Floyd Valley School District is one of six Iowa schools that have been named to the list of 349 National Blue Ribbon Schools. US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made the announcement in a video sent to the schools.
Besides Hospers Elementary School in the MOC/Floyd Valley Community School District, the other Iowa schools named are Center Point-Urbana High School; Resurrection Elementary School of the Holy Family Catholic Schools in Dubuque; Sergeant Bluff-Luton Senior High School, Sergeant Bluff-Luton Community School District; Summit Middle School in Johnston; and Tilford Elementary School in the Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District. DeVos says the recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise said in a statement accompanying the announcement that “Blue Ribbon schools take a holistic approach to education, and this is critical to ensuring the success of their students in and beyond school.”
MOC/Floyd Valley Community School District superintendent Russ Adams says they’re proud of the accomplishments of the Hospers elementary.
He says students at the district’s other elementary in Orange City performed similarly, but the difference is in the demographics of the student population at the two elementary schools. He says there are different criteria for the different awards.
Mr. Adams praised the faculty and staff at Hospers Elementary.
Representatives of the Blue Ribbon schools will go to the nation’s capital on November 7th and 8th for the awards ceremony. Five Iowa schools were named to the list last year.
