8 NC schools named best in the U.S. by Department of Education. Does your kid attend one?

There are over 2,500 grade schools across North Carolina, but a select few have been named among the best in the country.

The Department of Education recently announced the 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools, a program that recognizes high-performing schools across the U.S. Over 9,000 public and private schools are honored each year. This year, eight from North Carolina were selected.

Here’s the list of schools in North Carolina recognized for the 40th anniversary of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program:

Beaufort County Early College High School

Location: Washington, NC

School type: High school

Nomination: Exemplary High Performing Schools

Fairview Elementary School

Location: Fairview, NC

School type: Elementary school, Title I school

Nomination: Exemplary High Performing Schools

Greensboro Academy

Location: Greensboro, NC

School type: Elementary school, charter school

Nomination: Exemplary High Performing Schools

Heyward C Bellamy Elementary School

Location: Wilmington, NC

School type: Elementary school

Nomination: Exemplary High Performing Schools

Highland School of Technology

Location: Gastonia, NC

School type: High school, magnet school

Nomination: Exemplary High Performing Schools

Jay M Robinson Middle School

Location: Charlotte, NC

School type: Middle school

Nomination: Exemplary High Performing Schools

Lucama Elementary School

Location: Lucama, NC

School type: Elementary school, Title I school

Nomination: Exemplary High Performing Schools

W. R. Odell Elementary School

Location: Concord, NC

School type: Elementary school

Nomination: Exemplary High Performing Schools

Public and private non-public elementary, middle and high schools may be nominated for the award only once within a five-year period and may be nominated based on high performance or closing achievement gaps among students. This includes charter, magnet, choice, and schools with religious affiliations.

You can find the full list of schools recognized across the country for this year’s program online at nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/.

This story was originally published September 26, 2023 at 9:15 AM.

Chyna Blackmon

The Charlotte Observer

Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription