Our Lady of Lourdes School received the US Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Award in May, 2001. This award distinguishes Our Lady of Lourdes as a school that models excellence and equity, and demonstrates a strong commitment to educational excellence for all students.

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program (BRSP) was established by the Secretary of Education in 1982. Its purpose is:

1. to identify and give public recognition to outstanding public and private schools across the United States that achieve to high academic standards or have shown significant academic improvement over five years;
2. to make available a comprehensive framework of key criteria for school effectiveness that can serve as a basis for participatory self-assessment and planning in schools;
3. to facilitate communication and sharing of best practices within and among schools based on a common understanding of criteria related to success.

Excellence and Equity
Blue Ribbon Schools model excellence and equity. They exhibit a strong commitment to educational excellence for all students. The school's success in furthering the intellectual, social, moral, and physical growth of all its students is a basic consideration underlying the recognition criteria.
Instructional Programs

Blue Ribbon Schools offer instructional programs that meet the highest academic standards, have supportive and learning-centered school environments, and demonstrate student outcome results that are significantly above average or have improved over time. The quality of each school is judged in the context of how effectively it has defined and is meeting its own goals and how well it serves students, their families, and the local community. For a school to be judged worthy of national recognition, it must show significant progress in meeting state and/or national education goals

Program Criteria
The criteria used to judge schools in the Blue Ribbon Schools Program include the following categories:

1. School Focus and Support
2. School Organization and Culture
3. Challenging Standards and Curriculum
4. Active Teaching and Learning
5. Profession Community
6. Leadership and Educational Vitality
7. School, Family , and Community Partnerships
8. Indicators of Academic Success (Student Achievement Measures)