National Blue Ribbon Award Archives - Big Sioux Media Sports Network

Dell Rapids Elementary Celebrates Blue Ribbon Award

November 18, 2019 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Weeks after hearing the school was being recognized as a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School, the Dell Rapids Elementary School celebrated on Friday, November 15th. Dell Rapids Elementary was just one of 362 schools in the country to receive this award, and only six South Dakota schools achieved the recognition.

Students and staff were treated to an assembly to celebrate the honor with everyone wearing a blue ribbon t-shirt. School board members Matt Weiland, Troy Randall, and Jacque LeBrun were in attendance. Dell Rapids City Administrator Justin Weiland and District 25 Representative Jon Hansen also attended. Former South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard spoke and presented the school with their certificate of recognition.

While speaking to the students, Daugaard said, “Dell Rapids is a very special school. It’s one of the best in whole the state. In fact one of the best in the whole United States. That’s why we’re here today. We’re here to celebrate what a special school Dell Rapids is, and we want to thank all the people that make Dell Rapids special, especially your teachers.”

Julie Wynja, the K-4 Dean of Students, said, “I would like to thank all of my teachers and staff. It takes a lot to make a Blue Ribbon school, and we’re so lucky that we have each and every one of you. And last, but not least, 409 kids deserve a lot of applause because they are amazing!”

The Dell Rapids High School band performed, and Rocky, the Quarrier mascot, also helped the students and staff celebrate this achievement.

Dell Rapids Elementary Recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School

October 8, 2019 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids School District was notified at the end of September that the Dell Rapids Elementary School is recognized as a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School.

Only 362 schools in the United States were given this honor in 2019. Of those 362 schools, only six in schools in South Dakota received the recognition. Five of the six South Dakota schools were elementary schools.

To receive this recognition, the school must be nominated. Dell Rapids was nominated in the category of “Exemplary High Performing Schools”. To receive the National Blue Ribbon recognition, Dell Rapids Elementary had to meet the following criteria as listed The National Blue Ribbon Schools government website:

The school must be in the top 15 percent of all schools in the state when schools are ranked on
1. the performance of all students who participated in the most recently administered state assessments in reading (or English language arts) and mathematics, or
2. a composite index that includes these assessment results and may also include assessment results in other subject areas and/or other student performance measures, such as attendance or graduation rates.
For each of the school’s subgroups meeting the State’s minimum size requirement, the school must be in the top 40 percent of all public schools in the state when schools are ranked on
1. the performance of all students in the subgroup who participated in the most recently administered state assessments in reading (or English language arts) and mathematics, or
2. a composite index that includes these assessment results and may also include assessment results in other subject areas and/or other student performance measures, such as attendance or graduation rates for high schools.
For high schools, the school must be in the top 15 percent of all high schools in the state when high schools are ranked on the most recently available graduation rate.

Congratulations to the Dell Rapids Elementary School and the Dell Rapids School District Administration on this recognition!