PERRY, Ga. — The U.S. Secretary of Education recognized Kings Chapel Elementary School as one of nearly 300 blue ribbon schools nationwide.
"There was a lot of waiting, a lot of hoping. I really wanted to share the news with everybody, and I also prepared myself for the disappointment of not receiving it," Principal William Ray said.
The award highlights overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. The school had to fill out an application and do essays to receive the recognition
"We had to write a lot of essays that gave a narrative of who we are and what we are about, and we had lots of different staff members that were involved in that it wasn't just me," Ray said.
They received the honor in a specific category.
"In the category of high performing schools, which means our children's test scores are amongst the highest in the state of Georgia," Ray said.
5th grader Mikayla Herbst has a lot of pride for her school's accomplishment.
"It makes me feel very happy that my school was recognized as one of the top schools," Herbst said.
The school is striving to focus on the kids.
"This business is about children, and it's about our children's' success and this award is a validation of their success built with their hard work," Ray said.
The Department of Education will recognize all blue ribbon schools at an awards ceremony in Washington D.C. on Nov. 3 and 4.
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