York Center School one of first to receive 'Blue Ribbon' status

by Larry Synett

York Center School was one of the first 250 schools to be selected in the 2006 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Blue Ribbon School program.

The third- through fifth-grade elementary school of DuPage County School District 45 in Villa Park and Lombard was recognized by one of United States Secretary of Education Margaret Spelling's top officials, Todd Zoellick, during an assembly at the school on Wednesday, Sept. 27.

"I feel fortunate to be able to work with such a talented staff and with such outstanding students," said York Center Principal Nancy Munoz. "I have always been proud of them, but now I am excited that they are receiving the recognition they deserve on a larger scale."

York Center was chosen for achieving scores on annual Illinois assessment tests that consistently place it within the top 10 percent of schools for the entire state.

Overall, 15 Illinois schools have been named 2006 NCLB Blue Ribbon Schools, three of which are within DuPage County.

The other two DuPage County schools include Pleasant Hill Elementary School in Wheaton and Butler Junior High School in Oak Brook.

According to Munoz, York Center would not be receiving this recognition if its students were not getting the proper education from Stevenson School in Lombard, which prepares children in grades kindergarten through second grade, before they attend York Center.

"We are a non-traditional setup in that we only house students in grades three through five," said Munoz. "Students need a good foundation in grades kindergarten through second in order to test well in grades three, four and five. That's why we like to refer to ourselves as York Center/Stevenson School."

The NCLB Blue Ribbon School program underwent changes three years ago to reflect the goals and expectations of the federal school reform law.

The program currently recognized public and private kindergarten through 12th-grade schools with students who have achieved at the highest levels or have made significant progress in closing the achievement gaps.

York Center was different than other public schools, with 40 percent of the student body coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. These students dramatically improved, reaching high levels on state tests.

According to Dr. William Schewe, superintendent of District 45, anyone who doesn't know anything about York Center would be surprised at the diversity of the student body.

"The students are from all over the world including Pakistan, Bosnia, Russia, Poland and many other countries," said Schewe. "This is a great achievement and shows the dedication and skill of the York Center/Stevenson staff."

One year ago, the process began that allowed York Center to achieve Blue Ribbon status when the United States secretary of education sent a letter to the Chief State School Officers (CSSO) requesting the submission of information for nominated schools.

The United States Department of Education then sent a letter of invitation, with an application, to York Center and other schools recommended by the CSSO.

Official announcement that York Center had been recognized as a Blue Ribbon school was made by Spellings on Sept. 22, with a second group of schools planned to be announced in October.

According to Jamie Brunton, assistant principal at York Center, an accomplishment like this never could have been done without the hard work of both the school's staff and its students.

"They all put in their best efforts every day," said Brunton. "We have high expectations for everyone at York Center/Stevenson School and it has been proven that they can do a great job and we expect them to do their best everyday."

The 2006 NCLB Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at an awards ceremony on Nov. 9 and 10 in Washington, D.C., which Munoz will be attending.

"We hope that we can continue to inspire students to be children who love to learn and understand the value of education," added Munoz. "We have high expectations for our students and they have and continue to work very hard."