Cloquet Elementary School Makes National Blue Ribbon Schools List For 2022

A Northland school has made the grade when it comes to education.  The annual National Blue Ribbon Schools list was released for 2022 and an elementary school in Cloquet has made the list.

In fact, Churchill Elementary School in Cloquet was one of only eight Minnesota schools to make the list - which recognized 297 schools nationally for their educational excellence.  The list ranking has been issued by the United States Department of Education since 1982.

According to details shared in the Department of Education's website, the rankings are based off of the following characteristics:

"The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.  The coveted National Blue Ribbon School award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. The National Blue Ribbon School flag gracing an entry or flying overhead is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning."

The Churchill Elementary School in Cloquet serves 366 children - one of two in the community.  Their mission statement is "Our Students Are Number One" - and according to the details of their selection shared by the Department of Education, it's easy to see that they succeed:

"Teamwork is the name of the game at Churchill.  All staff enthusiastically supports the Response to Intervention process.  An intervention block schedule along with consistent school data retreats have been integral to supporting student academic success.  Dedicated classroom intervention and special education staff review all student data which empowers them to identify individual student academic needs and determine appropriate intervention or enrichment group placement."

The school's summary provided by the Department of Education goes on to share that:

"Churchill's high-equality core instruction in the classroom and intervention groups are credited with helping close the achievement gap.  [And that] Churchill's staff see the substantial value of establishing relationships with students and families...[t]hrough teamwork, data review, and strong relationships Churchill staff does an outstanding job of supporting all students and families."

Here is a list of the other seven Minnesota schools that made the National Blue Ribbon Schools list:

• Bloomington - Seven Hills Preparatory Academy
• Brainerd - Lowell Elementary School
• Good Thunder - Maple River West Elementary School
• Plymouth - Kimberly Lane Elementary School
• Rochester - Lincoln K-8 School
• Springfield - Springfield Elementary School
• Woodbury - Lake Middle School

To see all of the schools that made the list and to learn more about the U.S. Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools list, click here to visit their website.