Blue Ribbon Excellence

In the fall of 2018, the U.S. Department of Education recognized St. Francis de Sales School as a Blue Ribbon Award recipient, marking the second time it has achieved this distinction. SFS also received the Blue Ribbon Award in 2007.

As an Exemplary High Performing School, SFS was one of only 24 Illinois schools to earn Blue Ribbon status in 2018. Applications are accepted from past winners every five years.

The coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. 

Fast Facts

• Of the approximately 130,000 total public and private schools across the United States, 349 schools received the Blue Ribbon Award in 2018 (0.2% of U.S. schools)
• Of the 349 award-winning schools, 49 were private
• Of the 9,000 schools that have received the award since 1982, less than 10% of schools have earned the award more than once