Nelson School Principal Sheila Vara (3rd from left), School Board member Allison Aldrich, and co-superintendent from SAU 29, Wayne Woolrich (3rd and 2nd from right).
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private K-12 schools that are either academically superior in their states or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.
First, it recognizes schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance to a high level on state assessments or assessments referenced against national norms at a particular grade, as determined by the Chief State School Officer (CSSO).
Second, it recognizes schools whose students, whether from disadvantaged or privileged backgrounds, achieve in the top 10 percent on state tests or the top 10 percent in the state on assessments referenced against national norms at a particular grade”.
