Holy Trinity School in Avon is the only school in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland and one of only 50 non-public schools in the country to be recognized as a 2020 Blue Ribbon School.
It was recognized for its overall academic performance as an Exemplary High Performing School. This was Holy Trinity’s first attempt to achieve Blue Ribbon status.
“This recognition is a testament to the incredible effort of our teachers and staff, and the support of our Holy Trinity families and community,” said Kim Kuchta, Holy Trinity School co-principal. “To be part of the Holy Trinity family is to be inclusive, compassionate and empathetic to members of the community and beyond. Our teachers foster student success using this approach while delivering engaging, individualized instruction in a faith-based environment.”
The National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families
and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and
engaging content. Now in its 38th year, the program has given almost 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools -- with some schools winning multiple awards.
Schools are eligible for nomination after five years. Holy Trinity’s inaugural application was submitted in February.
“We are proud of the hard work of our students and staff. One key component to even apply for this award hinges on all grade levels performing in the top 15th percentile on standardized tests
in the content areas of mathematics and reading. At Holy Trinity, our students have shown consistent growth in these two areas and continue to challenge one another to strive for more,” said Mike Modzeleski, co-principal.
The U.S. Department of Education recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, student subgroup scores and graduation rates:
- Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
- Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest-performing in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.
Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The U.S. Education Department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.
The 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards ceremony will take place virtually Nov. 12-13. The Holy Trinity School community also will celebrate the award at school.
In addition, Holy Trinity was recognized recently as one of 37 Ohio schools to receive the Governor’s Thomas Edison Awards for Excellence in STEM Education and Student Research for accomplishments during the 2019-2020 school year. It was the fourth consecutive time Holy Trinity was selected for the award.
The school, which serves more than 500 students in from preschool to grade 8, is the oldest and largest school in Lorain County. It was established in 1845.
Click here to read Holy Trinity’s application for the Blue Ribbon Schools award.