Four North Carolina Schools Win New Statewide Blue Ribbon Honors

The state education agency announced on Nov. 3 that four schools earned the first statewide Blue Ribbon recognition under a new North Carolina program. Apex Friendship Middle School and Mills Park Middle School in Wake County joined Henderson County Early College and Pinehurst Elementary School in Moore County as honorees. The awards identify schools as Exemplary High Performing and or for Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing based on 2023 to 2024 accountability results, and three of the four recipients received distinctions in both categories.

NCDPI framed the initiative as a successor to the federal National Blue Ribbon program after the U.S. Department of Education discontinued that national recognition. The department said the state honorees will be formally recognized at the December meeting of the State Board of Education, creating a public forum for the awards and for questions about selection and criteria.

For Wake County residents the recognition carries several practical implications. School awards are often used by families as indicators when choosing neighborhoods and schools, and by districts as evidence when seeking resources and partnerships. Local principals and county leaders provided statements celebrating students staff and community following the announcement, though the department has not released additional narrative detail about the selection process beyond the accountability designations.

Institutionally the shift from a federal to a state run Blue Ribbon program alters oversight and accountability dynamics. State management of the recognition centralizes control of criteria and publicity, which can strengthen alignment with state standards. At the same time it places new responsibility on state officials to maintain transparency in how data are weighted and how schools are nominated and selected. The December State Board of Education meeting will be an opportunity for public scrutiny of those procedures.

The awards also intersect with local governance and civic engagement. Recognitions that highlight academic achievement and progress on closing achievement gaps can become focal points in school board discussions about curriculum staffing and targeted supports. They can shape campaign narratives in local school board elections and influence voter priorities by drawing attention to measurable outcomes. Community members who want to hold district and state leaders accountable can use the upcoming board meeting to ask for the underlying data and for plans to replicate successful practices across other schools.

Operational impacts at the school level typically include boosts to staff morale increased visibility for successful programs and potential leverage for grants and partnerships. For parents the designation may inform enrollment decisions and expectations about academic programs. For taxpayers and policy makers the designation raises questions about equity and resource distribution, especially given the award category that focuses on closing achievement gaps.

As Wake County prepares to celebrate two local schools among the first state Blue Ribbon honorees the broader policy conversation will be whether the new program achieves clear transparent and equitable recognition while driving improvement across all schools.