ROCKY RIVER, Ohio – Rocky River High School (RRHS) was one of just 14 schools in Ohio to be nominated by the Ohio Department of Education for the prestigious 2020 U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Award.

“We are honored and excited to be nominated for this rare honor,” RRHS principal Rob Winton said. “I am extremely proud of our students, teachers, staff, parents and guardians, and the entire Rocky River community for their hard work and commitment to excellence that helped make this nomination possible.”

RRHS staff will now work on the next steps of the process, including the submission of application and data materials to the U.S. Department of Education. The 2020 National Blue Ribbon School award winners will be announced in September.

The Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes schools striving to achieve excellence. To be recognized, a school must fall into one of two categories:

            1.     Exemplary High Performing Schools: To be eligible, schools must be among the state’s highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments, or nationally normed tests.

            2.     Exemplary Improving Schools: To be eligible, schools must be among the state’s highest-performing schools in closing achievement gaps between the school’s student groups and all students.

RRHS received its nomination as an Exemplary High Performing School. 

This marks the fifth time a school from the Rocky River City School District has been nominated for a National Blue Ribbon Award, including the third time for RRHS (1997-98 and 2012).

Rocky River Middle School was named a Blue Ribbon Award winner in 1997-98, while Kensington Intermediate School received the honor in 2011.

Since its inception in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has recognized more than 9,000 Great American Schools. Each year, representatives of newly recognized schools gather for a ceremony in Washington, DC where their achievement is officially honored by the U.S. Department of Education. This prestigious award galvanizes school communities and generates inspiring school success stories. It also draws professional and public interest and offers recipients new opportunities to share their hard-won knowledge in districts, states and beyond.