Homer Middle School now has the prestigious distinction of being a National Blue Ribbon School. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos awarded the 2018 blue ribbon honors to roughly 350 schools nationwide earlier this week.
Homer Middle School was one of three schools to be awarded in Alaska. The middle school was recognized in the exemplary high performing school category, which is measured by state assessments or national tests.
In a news release, Homer Middle School Principal Kari Dendurent said, "This accomplishment is a result of support, hard work and dedication to high academic expectations that makes Homer Middle School one of the best schools in the great state of Alaska.”
On the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program website, Homer Middle School’s success is attributed in part to the result of strong community partnerships. For instance, the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center gives students access to the world’s largest seabird refuge while the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies brings speakers into the classrooms. Partnerships such as these, the website says, gives opportunities for students to engage in their surroundings.
Homer Middle School joins 10 other schools in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District with the National Blue Ribbon School distinction.
