DARLINGTON - The United States Department of Education awarded Darlington Elementary/Middle School in the Darlington School District the 2023 National Blue Ribbon Award. Darlington Elementary/Middle School was nominated by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly as one of the state’s highest performing schools in closing the achievement gaps between the school’s student groups and all students.
In order to receive the award, a school must be nominated by its State’s Chief School Officer. Darlington Elementary/Middle School will now own the official status of Darlington Elementary/ Middle, 2023 National Blue Ribbon School. The school will be permitted and encouraged to display the National Blue Ribbon Logo while also displaying the National Blue Ribbon School Flag at their school in recognition of this achievement. National Blue Ribbon Schools will be officially recognized in November at a formal ceremony in Washington, D.C. at a final date to be determined.
Darlington Superintendent Cale Jackson states the following regarding the district’s recognition “Unique to Darlington is our considerable population of English Language Learners. Instead of viewing this level of diversity as a challenge, our staff and community have recognized the opportunity and are determined to utilize the most effective, innovative strategies to engage learners across languages and traditions, which enriches the overall school culture, accelerates academic growth, and nurtures empathy. Board President Bob Hermanson added that the Darlington Board of Education recognizes the hard work and dedication by Mr. Flanagan, the entire staff at DEMS, the students, parents, and the community support. “We are fortunate to be in a community that has recognized our strengths and the support required to serve all students. Congratulations to our students for their hard work.”
According to DEMS Principal, Mr. Michael Flanagan: “To achieve these goals, DEMS remains resolute in closing achievement gaps through multifaceted systems of support. The school’s structure emphasizes the attributes of respect, ownership, safety, integrity, and excellence. Our designation as a Title I school indicates our devotion to the various socio-economic factors that our students face. Through the commitment and efforts of our staff and support from our parents and community, Darlington Elementary/Middle School aspires to be a shining model of academic excellence, inclusivity, collective teacher efficacy, and equity.”
Since the inception of this prestigious recognition 40 years ago, Darlington Elementary/Middle School is the sixth recipient in the CESA 3 region. They are the fourth CESA 3 district in the past 10 years to be nominated by the DPI and recognized for their achievement by the U.S. Department of Education
