WHITEWIGHT, Texas (KXII) – Whitelight Middle School is one of 31 schools in Texas named a National Blue Ribbon School this year by the U.S. Department of Education.
This prestigious award is given to schools that demonstrate academic excellence and are working to close achievement gaps.
In the case of Whitelight Middle School, they earned this title due to a significant improvement in test scores.
“It’s just awesome to be on campus winning this ribbon and know that the hard work that we put in, the effort that we put into our kids, the hard work that they put in, is being recognized,” said Crystal Parker, a former teacher at Whitelight Middle School.
The district believes this honor would not have been achieved if teachers had not been so committed to the success of their students.
“We’ve especially encouraged tutoring, brought in kids with special needs, analyzed all of the unit assessments, worked with kids and made sure we continued to support them in every way we could,” Parker said.
The Whitelight Independent School District also recognizes students’ hard work and desire to learn.
“The kids came and we got to work,” Parker said. “They did what they were asked to do and never complained. I think we have some great kids here.”
A year ago, the district learned the middle school had been nominated for the award by the superintendent.
“We were told to keep it a secret, but we started the process and a lot of teachers got involved,” said Brian Garner, superintendent of the White Light Independent School District. “A lot of essays were written that described our district and our campus.”
Whitelight Middle School was officially awarded the title on Monday.
“This is a teacher award, this is a student award and most importantly, this is a community award,” Whitelight Middle School Principal Charles Nash said. “This is just one of the many honors that the Whitelight Independent School District has earned.”
These outstanding middle school students and their teachers are setting an A-plus example for the entire state of Texas.
“I can’t express how proud I am of these kids, the community, the teachers and the principal that leads this campus,” Garner said.
The district will soon travel to Washington, D.C., to accept the award.
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