Two Santa Barbara schools received national recognition Tuesday, with Peabody Charter School and Hope Elementary School being named as 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools, an honor given to schools for their exemplary performance in academics or work toward closing achievement gaps between student groups.
The Santa Barbara schools — creating a rare instance where two honorees are just miles away from each other — take their place among 33 California schools and 353 schools nationwide recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the 2023 honorees, representing the program’s 40th cohort, have set a “national example” of raising the bar in education.
“The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally,” Cardona added.
Dr. Anne Hubbard, Superintendent of Hope School District, said the award highlights the focus on equity and academic achievement started by Hope Elementary’s former principal, Dr. Liz Barnitz, and continued by current principal Anna Scharfeld.
“This prestigious national recognition is a wonderful way to celebrate the many years of hard work of our students, their families, teachers, administrators, and support staff. I am incredibly proud of the Hope Elementary School community,” Dr. Hubbard said.
Peabody Superintendent/Principal Demian Barnett similarly credited his school’s outstanding accomplishment on the “sustained and focused work on both student achievement and equity,” as well as the hard work of the Peabody community.
“Peabody is honored to work alongside committed, like-minded colleagues in a neighboring district as we collectively seek to learn and grow in order to better serve the community of students and families in our respective areas,” the school said on Tuesday. “Seeing both of our efforts recognized by the 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award is inspiring.”