Johnson City Schools announced last week that Towne Acres Elementary has been named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for being an Exemplary High-Performing School. Towne Acres was one of 325 schools in the country and six in Tennessee to earn the national distinction.
“It is an honor for Towne Acres to be selected as a National Blue Ribbon School,” Towne Acres Principal Josh Simmons said. “I am very excited to see our faculty, staff, and students being celebrated for all of their hard work and accomplishments. This distinction adds to the sense of pride in our Towne Acres community and serves as a reminder that we have an amazing group of educators, students, and families at our school.”
Towne Acres joins Fairmont Elementary, which was honored in 2011, as the only two Johnson City schools to receive the national recognition. Johnson City Schools Superintendent Steve Barnett said that he was very happy for everyone involved with Towne Acres.
“This national recognition is an incredible honor for the Towne Acres community,” Barnett said. “This well-deserved distinction is a result of years of hard work by the faculty, students and families of Towne Acres. Their hard work has resulted in a community coming together to create a culture of continuous improvement and ongoing success.”
The coveted National Blue Ribbon School award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. Now in its 39th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.
Towne Acres was recognized as an Exemplary High-Performing School, which means they are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
