Shapiro Administration Congratulates 13 Schools Selected as 2025 Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon Schools

We are proud to announce that Lakeside Elementary School has been named a 2025 Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon School! We are one of 13 schools across the Commonwealth to earn this distinction, which recognizes our performance and our progress made to close the achievement gap. Congratulations to our students, faculty, staff, and community on this achievement!

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) congratulated 13 schools in the Commonwealth that have been selected as Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon Schools. Formerly known as National Blue Ribbon Schools, an initiative run by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), schools are recognized for their overall academic performance and/or the progress made to close the achievement gap among students. The Commonwealth created the Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon Schools initiative after the Trump Administration ended the 40-year-old federal program in August.

“Pennsylvania’s schools deserve to have their hard work recognized, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. “While Washington may have stepped back from the Blue Ribbon program, the Shapiro Administration is stepping forward to shine a light on schools that are showing real progress in closing the achievement gap. These schools prove that with commitment, creativity, and care, we can ensure that every student has the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed. That’s something worth celebrating, and Pennsylvania is proud to lead the way.”

Before being disbanded by USDE, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program gave approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,700 schools across the nation in its more than 40 years of operation. This year, Pennsylvania developed this statewide program to continue recognizing the efforts made by schools to create safe and welcoming spaces where students can master challenging and engaging content.   

The following school was named Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon Schools:

• Lakeside Elementary School, Wayne Highlands SD, Wayne County.  Lakeside fosters a disciplined, supportive, and structured learning environment where students feel safe, respected, and empowered to succeed. At Lakeside, we are committed not only to academic achievement but also to developing the whole child, with a strong focus on leadership development and character education.

Under the program, schools are recognized in both or either of two performance categories: Exemplary High Performing Schools—the top performers in their state as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests; and/or Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools—those that excel in narrowing achievement gaps between different student groups and the overall student body. 

Pennsylvania’s Blue Ribbon Schools will be recognized at an award ceremony during the 2025 SAS Institute held in Hershey this December.