Moore Middle School Among 6 National Blue Ribbon Schools In Oklahoma

The U.S. Department of Education named Brink Junior High in Moore one of 2021's National Blue Ribbon Schools.

It is one of the six schools in the state of Oklahoma to receive this honor.

If you take a look at the halls of Brink Junior High, you'll see awards everywhere for both sports and academics.

But Brink's biggest honor this year was being named a National Blue Ribbon School.

“It’s an unbelievable honor. The community should be super proud to be named one of 325 schools across the country,” said Dan Schwarz, principal of Brink Junior High School. “It’s something we should really be proud of and hang our hats on.”

A school can be named a Blue Ribbon School based on the following criteria; you have to either be among your state’s highest academic performing schools through a five-year period or a high performing school that is closing the achievement gaps between a school's student groups and all students.

Brink qualified under the first criteria. 

However, Schwarz said it takes more than just good grades to make a school excellent. The community's great attitude helped them push through a difficult year of remote learning.

“To be a high achieving school, it takes all aspects,” Schwarz said. “The parents have to be behind you, central administration has to be there, and you have to have an unbelievable staff.”

While Brink was the only school in the Oklahoma City metro honored, other schools in Chickasha, Enid, Laverne and McAlester also received this award.

The Oklahoma schools named as National Blue Ribbon Schools were:

1. Chickasha – Pioneer School, Pioneer Public School District.
2. Enid – Chisholm Middle School, Chisholm School District.
3. Enid – Hoover Elementary School, Enid School District.
4. Laverne – Laverne Elementary School, Laverne School District.
5. McAlester – Edmond Doyle Elementary School, McAlester Public School District.
6. Oklahoma City – Brink Junior High School, Moore School District.