Herricks High School was honored Thursday as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2017.
Herricks, one of 19 New York schools to win the honor, was recognized for academic excellence as a high performing school, one of the two possible grounds for selection.
“This national honor affirms and recognizes the District’s commitment to continuous improvement, academic excellence and innovative programs for all students,” Superintendent Fino Celano said. “Achieving the Blue Ribbon Award is the result of the collective efforts on the part of our dedicated Board of Education, talented faculty and administration, supportive parents, and hard-working and compassionate students.”
The high school met the standards by falling within the top 15 percent of schools in the state for assessment results and demonstrating other exceptional statistics, such as high graduation rates.
A district spokesman, Michael Ganci, said Herricks students shine as high-performing scholars, artists, musicians and athletes, and each year they are recognized with local, state and national awards in a variety of academic subjects.
The district is no stranger to the honor as Herricks Middle School was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 1997.
Established in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon School Program is the best-known national recognition system to honor schools demonstrating either academic improvement or achievements, and schools can only be nominated once in a five-year period.
Four other Long Island schools — Bayport-Blue Point High School, Garden City High School, Massapequa High School and Earl L. Vandermeulen High School in Port Jefferson — were honored this year among the 342 schools recognized nationwide.
“What ultimately makes Herricks so special is the strong sense of connection within the schools and community that is demonstrated by tolerance, acceptance and kindness,” Principal James Ruck said. “Our diversity, and emphasis on social-emotional learning, provides an atmosphere where students constantly learn and grow from one another.”
