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Gov. Nixon commends students, teachers and staff at Kennard Classical Junior Academy on earning a National Blue Ribbon award

ST. LOUIS – Gov. Jay Nixon today visited Kennard Classical Junior Academy in St. Louis to commend students, parents, teachers and staff for their commitment to academic excellence, including being named a 2015 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The national award – given to only 335 schools nationwide this year – honors schools whose students achieve at very high levels or who have made significant progress to close gaps in achievement.

“Through high expectations and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Kennard Classical Junior Academy is a great example of a school that’s helping students reach for the stars,” Gov. Nixon said. “When we strengthen our public schools, we strengthen entire communities.  The St. Louis Public School District continues to make great strides, and I applaud Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams for his leadership and commitment to giving every student an opportunity to succeed.”  

Eight public schools in Missouri have been honored as 2015 Blue Ribbon Schools. The national award honors schools for high levels of academic achievement or significant progress in closing gaps in achievement among disadvantaged and minority students.

Gov. Nixon has made public education in Missouri a top priority of his administration. Even during the height of the recession, he worked across the aisle to balance the budget every year while providing record funding for K-12 classrooms. Math and reading scores have increased on his watch and Missouri’s high school graduation rate is in the top 10 in the nation. Over the past six years, Missouri has also led the nation in holding down tuition increases at its public colleges and universities.

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, especially among disadvantaged and minority students. The U.S. Department of Education says the award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content.

The St. Louis Public School District made significant improvement on their Annual Performance Report this year, earning 76.1 percent of possible points in 2015, up from 43.2 percentage points in 2014.

Kennard Classical Junior Academy is a full-time, tuition-free Gifted and Talented Magnet School in the St. Louis Public School District and consistently scores at the top of Missouri schools. This year Kennard scored first among the state’s elementary schools. The school’s vision is to provide a unique, safe, and nurturing school fostering academic achievement and serving the diverse population of gifted and talented students. It provides a student-centered, inquiry-based gifted curriculum designed to develop creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.