ــــــــﮩ٨ـ Flatlining of the Blue Ribbon

Glen Rock Will Never Receive a National Blue Ribbon Award Again. Less than a month ago - on August 29, 2025 - the U.S. Department of Education quietly and abruptly dropped a bombshell: the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program , a hallmark of academic recognition since 1982, has been permanently disbanded. A sudden flatlining. That means Glen Rock - and every other district in America - will never again earn the coveted title of “National Blue Ribbon School.”

The Department framed the move as a way to “return education to the states” , arguing that state and local leaders are better positioned to define and reward excellence. It marks a deliberate retreat of the federal role in education.

For decades, the Blue Ribbon designation carried real weight. It elevated schools, boosted morale, helped recruit and retain top teachers, and gave communities a sense of shared pride. Most importantly, it provided a national benchmark 📊 for excellence that cut across state lines.

Replacing this program at the state level will be difficult, if not impossible. A state-issued award will never carry the same weight as a national seal. And with 50 states setting their own criteria, “excellence” will fracture into 50 different definitions.

The disbandment is also part of a broader federal trend: shrinking programs and cutting funding 💰 . In New Jersey, more than $140 million in federal K-12 funding has been frozen, threatening programs for English learners, tutoring, STEM, after-school and summer learning, and teacher training.

It’s a real disappointment to me to see the National Blue Ribbon Program disbanded. More than ever, Glen Rock needs to look to the state and local level to find funding - and to define our standards of excellence. ✨

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