Westside Elementary School named a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School

Westside Elementary School, one of the seven elementary schools of Norfolk Public Schools, has been honored as a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School. This highly prestigious honor is awarded to schools considered "Exemplary High Performing" by national standards. The school applications are evaluated in an extensive review process among public and private schools throughout the nation.

On 9/16/2022, U.S. Secretary of Education, Education Miguel Cardona announced that 297 schools in the United States are being recognized for their outstanding performance in student achievement. Westside Elementary School was one of five schools from Nebraska recognized nationally in this announcement.

Westside Elementary School was established as part of the Norfolk Public Schools in 1959. This is the third time that Westside has been recognized for their outstanding performance. In 2015 and 2019 they received national recognition as a ESEA (Title I) Distinguished School Award.

"Congratulations to the teachers, staff, and students of Westside Elementary School on being named a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School. We are very proud to celebrate their recognition as a top performing school in the nation!" - Dr. Jami Jo Thompson, Superintendent of Schools, Norfolk Public Schools.

"Westside Elementary is an amazing place to be. I can't say enough about our tremendous, hardworking staff. I am extremely proud of them, and they deserve full credit for this honor. We are also incredibly blessed to have families that are very supportive of our staff, students, and overall school community. Finally, we have wonderful district leadership and a school board that continuously provides us with the tools we need to succeed." - Mr. Tracy Lichty, Principal, Westside Elementary School.

The U.S. Department of Education will formally recognize the 297 public and private schools at an awards ceremony in Washington DC on November 03 and 04, 2022.

Norfolk Public Schools will be hosting a celebration on November 10, 2022 at 2:30 p.m. in the Westside gym. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. More details will be available soon on the school website.

US Secretary of Education Education Miguel Cardona announces 2022 National Blue Ribbon School recipients: https://www.nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov

For more information on Westside Elementary School please visit: https://www.norfolkpublicschools.org/schools/westside-elementary