IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 961 
Recognizing the schools selected as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2025 
and celebrating the history of the Blue Ribbon Schools Program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 18, 2025 
Mr. CASTEN (for himself, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. 
QUIGLEY, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. SCHA-
KOWSKY, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. FOSTER, Ms. BUDZINSKI, Ms. UNDER-
WOOD, and Mr. SORENSEN) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the schools selected as National Blue Ribbon 
Schools for 2025 and celebrating the history of the Blue 
Ribbon Schools Program. 
Whereas the Blue Ribbon Schools program was created by 
the Reagan Administration in 1982 to provide nationwide 
recognition of schools for academic excellence and 
progress in closing achievement gaps; 
Whereas the Blue Ribbon Schools program has been consid-
ered the highest Federal honor for schools in the United 
States and has honored more than 9,000 public (includ-
ing charter) and private (including parochial) schools 
since its inception; 
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•HRES 961 IH 
Whereas the Blue Ribbon Schools program validates the work 
of the educators of the United States, models the best 
teaching practices across the United States, and inspires 
schools to adopt similarly rigorous practices; 
Whereas the Blue Ribbon Schools program plays an impor-
tant role in uplifting best practices in closing achievement 
gaps, especially as the 2024 National Assessment of Edu-
cational Progress, commonly referred to as the ‘‘Nation’s 
Report Card’’, showed that average reading and mathe-
matics scores for high school seniors fell to their lowest 
levels in 2 decades; 
Whereas the decision made August 29, 2025, by the Depart-
ment of Education to discontinue the Blue Ribbon 
Schools program has eliminated a national spotlight on 
what works in education; 
Whereas despite the decision by the Department of Edu-
cation, States and communities continue the legacy of the 
Blue Ribbon Schools program by leading initiatives to 
recognize their own exemplary schools at the State and 
local level; 
Whereas before the Department of Education discontinued 
the Blue Ribbon Schools program in 2025, the schools 
from the State of Illinois selected for the 2025 Blue Rib-
bon Schools designation included— 
(1) Ascension Catholic School; 
(2) Clarendon Hills Middle School; 
(3) Glen Oaks Elementary School; 
(4) Highlands Elementary School; 
(5) Kennedy Junior High School; 
(6) Liberty Intermediate School; 
(7) Lincoln-Way East High School; 
(8) Lyons Township High School; 
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•HRES 961 IH 
(9) Mascoutah Middle School; 
(10) Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy; 
(11) Pleasantdale Middle School; 
(12) Prescott Elementary School; 
(13) Regina Dominican High School; 
(14) Sarah Adams Elementary School; 
(15) St. Anne Catholic School; 
(16) St. Giles School; 
(17) St. John of the Cross Parish School; 
(18) St. Matthias School; 
(19) St. Norbert School; 
(20) St. Therese Chinese Catholic School; 
(21) Sunset Ridge Elementary School; 
(22) The Academy at St. Joan of Arc; 
(23) Timothy Christian P–8; 
(24) Walker Elementary School; 
(25) Warren Elementary School; 
(26) Wheaton Academy; 
(27) William Fremd High School; and 
(28) Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart; and 
Whereas it is imperative that the House of Representatives 
honors the schools selected to be Blue Ribbon Schools in 
2025 from every State and the legacy of the Blue Ribbon 
Schools program: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes and celebrates— 
(A) the schools selected to be 2025 Na-
tional Blue Ribbon Schools before the Blue Rib-
bon Schools program was discontinued; and 
(B) the history of the Blue Ribbon Schools 
program; 
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(2) commends the educators, school administra-
tors, and communities of such schools for their hard 
work that led to this achievement; and 
(3) calls upon the Secretary of Education to im-
mediately reinstate the Blue Ribbon Schools pro-
gram. 
Æ 
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