Radio Park Elementary nationally recognized for academic performance and progress

Keely Doll
·2 min read

The U.S. Department of Education released its latest list of Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023, including one Centre County school.

Thirteen Pennsylvania schools were recognized, with State College Area School District’s Radio Park Elementary among them. Across the country, 353 schools made the list based on academic performance or progress in closing the achievement gap through state or national testing. The Department of Education receives nominations from education officials in each state while private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

Other Pennsylvania schools one the list include:

  • Gwynedd-Mercy Academy Elementary, Gwynedd-Mercy

  • Central Bucks High School-East, Central Bucks School District

  • Wasson Avenue Elementary School, Dubois Area School District

  • Elizabethtown Area Schools, Elizabethtown Area School District

  • Saints Philip and James School, Archdiocese of Philadelphia

  • West Allegheny High School, West Allegheny School District

  • Saint Philip Neri School, Archdiocese of Philadelphia

  • David Leech Elementary School, Leechburg Area School District

  • Hampden Elementary School, Cumberland Valley School District

  • Saint Mary Interparochial School, Archdiocese of Philadelphia

  • Boyce Middle School, Upper Saint Clair School District

  • Schuylkill Haven Area Elementary Center, Schuylkill Haven Area

Danielle Yoder, assistant superintendent of elementary education for SCASD, said it was an honor for Radio Park Elementary and for the district.

“The faculty, administration, parents, students, staff, and community have all played a key role in the success of this elementary school, and I want to personally thank them for their dedication to the success of their school,” Yoder wrote in a email to the CDT.

Miguel Cardona, U.S. Secretary of Education, said schools serve as models of exemplary teaching for state and local educators.

“The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally,” Cardona said in a press release.

Up to 420 schools can be awarded each year, with over 9,700 schools receiving the honor throughout the 40 cohorts.