Three Dallas ISD schools nominated for Blue Ribbon status

Three Dallas ISD schools have been nominated for the national 2017 Blue Ribbon Schools award. The middle schools at both Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy (BOMLA) and Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, as well as the Dallas Environmental Science Academy (DESA), are the Dallas ISD nominees.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced that 26 Texas public schools have received nominations. The prestigious award is a program of the U.S. Department of Education and recognizes exemplary schools where students are performing at high levels.

All schools that have been nominated for the 2017 honor were selected as exemplary high performing schools as measured by state assessments. Each school has an economically disadvantaged population of 22 percent or greater.

The nominated schools must now complete a rigorous application process through the U.S. Department of Education. Announcements of the national award winners will be made in September. Schools that receive the award are recognized at the Blue Ribbon Schools awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

BOMLA , located in Oak Cliff, serves nearly 450 students in sixth- through 12th-grade. It is the first time for the school to receive a nomination at either the middle or high school level.

“We are honored to receive this nomination, as it supports the ability to expose our students to being lifelong learners,” said BOMLA Principal Michael Bland. “It is critical while preparing them for college, career and beyond.”

Each of the campuses credited the hard work of their students, teachers, staff and community for helping secure the nomination.

In 2011, Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School and DESA received a Blue Ribbon.