Udall, Heinrich Congratulate New Mexico’s National Blue Ribbon Schools

Schools in Mora, Melrose and Newcomb receive prestigious national recognition

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich congratulated Mora High School, Melrose Elementary School and Newcomb Elementary School on being named 2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the awards today and recognized outstanding schools across the country for their overall academic excellence or their progress toward closing achievement gaps.

Mora High School and Melrose Elementary School are being named Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools, while Newcomb Elementary School is being recognized as an Exemplary High Performing School.

"Excelling in our classrooms is the first step toward building a bright future for New Mexico, and I'm proud to congratulate three of our schools on receiving national recognition for excellence in education," Udall said. "Mora High School, Melrose Elementary School and Newcomb Elementary School all work to give students a fair shot at success by seizing on their communities' strengths. Students, teachers and families deserve recognition for their hard work, and I hope their progress serves as a model for schools across the state."

"Congratulations to Melrose Elementary School, Mora High School, and Newcomb Elementary School on earning the recognition as National Blue Ribbon Schools -- an extraordinary accomplishment on the part of the students, teachers, staff, and the surrounding communities," Heinrich said. "I'm proud of the work these schools are doing to close the achievement gap and prepare their students for college and for a career. All children deserve quality education regardless of where they come from or what their background is. It's my hope that these Blue Ribbon Schools continue to serve as examples for other schools in New Mexico so that all our kids have a pathway to opportunity."

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students either achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. The award plaque affirms the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content. The award flag gracing a school's building is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.