Press Releases

by Judy Bass

LEXINGTON – Minuteman High School has been named a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The announcement of all 349 public and private school honorees was made on October 1, 2018 by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

Abington High School and Swampscott High School are the other Massachusetts schools that earned this recognition. Minuteman is the sole vocational high school in the state to be accorded this award.

“This is an incredible recognition of the work of my staff and administrators,” said Minuteman Superintendent Dr. Edward A. Bouquillon. “I hope this accolade causes parents to take notice of Minuteman and how our model of learning and teaching can give their children a real advantage in high school, in college and in their careers.”

According to a U.S. Department of Education press release, National Blue Ribbon Schools earn that designation by excelling in one of two performance categories - either as Exemplary High Performing Schools or Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools, “which are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students over the past five years.”

All three National Blue Ribbon Schools from Massachusetts including Minuteman were cited for being Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools.

Secretary DeVos lauded the award-winning schools in a video message, saying, “I'm pleased to celebrate with you as your school is named a National Blue Ribbon School. We recognize and honor your important work in preparing students for successful careers and meaningful lives. Congratulations on your students' accomplishments and for your extraordinary commitment to meeting their unique needs.”

An awards ceremony for all of this year’s National Blue Ribbon Schools will be held at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C., on November 7 and 8, 2018.

Since the inception of the National Blue Ribbon School awards in 1982, more than 8,800 schools have been honored.

Minuteman has previously been acknowledged for academic excellence and for significantly closing achievement gaps. Just a few months ago, on April 5, 2018, Minuteman was named a Massachusetts Commendation School by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for being outstanding in those two categories. Governor Charles D. Baker presented Dr. Bouquillon with a plaque honoring the school at a State House ceremony.

Minuteman is nine months away from moving into a new $145M facility that has been designed to support a robust college and career academy model. The academy model was adopted by staff and administration to create smaller “schools within a school” thereby promoting more personalized learning founded upon close relationships between students and teachers. The Minuteman college and career academy model integrates rigorous academics with relevant technical programming in occupational areas providing individual economic opportunity. The new facility will accommodate project-based learning across disciplines, requiring students to learn how to work on a diverse team, solve problems and think critically. These are essential 21st-Century skills that students practice and apply in a variety of school-based and work-based environments.

As an accredited member of the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), Minuteman inspires all students to attain their full potential, accelerate their learning, and become purposeful citizens in the global community.