Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) congratulated St. Leo the Great School in Lincroft on Friday on being recognized as one of the top-performing schools in the country with a National Blue Ribbon School honor by the U.S. Department of Education.

“There are few greater priorities we should have as a country than the education of our children, and I am thrilled that St. Leo is being honored as a Blue Ribbon School for its exemplary record in this regard,” Rep. Smith stated. “St. Leo earned this honor for not only its outstanding test results among all students, but its high graduation rate—exemplifying both excellence in education and in ensuring that all students are well-served by its teachers and staff.”

“This is an exciting time for all of us at Saint Leo the Great School!  To have received the National Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence twice is a notable accomplishment and it makes me proud to be a part of this great community,” said Mr. Cornelius Begley, Principal of Saint Leo the Great School. “I am blessed to work with a remarkable team of educators whose dedication and tireless efforts in providing a quality education and strong faith formation have made this recognition possible. Above all, I am thankful to our students and parents, whose faith and trust in Saint Leo the Great School has added to this success.”

Across the country, 349 public and private schools have been honored as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2018, representing 47 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and military bases. Since 1982, more than 8,500 schools around the country have received the award. St. Leo was one of 49 schools in New Jersey to receive the award.

The National Blue Ribbon School award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master a challenging curriculum. The National Blue Ribbon School flag gracing an entry or flying overhead is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.

St. Leo was honored as an “Exemplary High Performing School,” meeting the criteria of it students performing in the top 15 percent of testing for English language arts and mathematics for state and/or national tests, the disaggregated results for student groups similar to the results of all students, and the graduation rate of 95 percent or higher. Located in Lincroft, the school features a challenging curriculum and robust mathematics, science, and technology programs for students.

“Congratulations to the staff, students, and parents at St. Leo for their collective effort to earn this greatly-desired award,” Smith said. “Hard work pays off. It’s certainly something to brag about.”

St. Leo was one of four schools in Smith’s Fourth Congressional District to be recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools. The three other schools were: St. James Elementary School in Red Bank; St. Catharine School in Spring Lake; and Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health & Science in Neptune.          

The list of all 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools is available on the U. S. Department of Education’s website at https://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/2018/national.pdf.