Schools in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Wythe County named 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools

ROANOKE, Va. – Some local schools are receiving a national honor for education: the distinction of being named a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School.

Grandin Court Elementary in Roanoke, Paul Munro Elementary in Lynchburg and Rural Retreat Elementary in Wythe County are among seven Virginia schools to earn this honor.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos named 362 schools nationwide as 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools. This includes seven Virginia public schools.

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors K-12 schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement, according to the Virginia Department of Education.

The U.S. Department of Education will honor the 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools during an awards ceremony later this fall in Washington, D.C.