House Creek named one of this year’s National Blue Ribbon Schools

Special to the Leader-Press

House Creek Elementary School in Copperas Cove has been designated a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

The announcement came Tuesday, making House Creek the first Copperas Cove ISD school to receive this designation since its inception in 1983.

“It is an absolute honor to be recognized as a National Blue Ribbon Campus and become the first Blue Ribbon campus in Copperas Cove,” House Creek principal Todd Williams said. “We have incredible students and an incredible staff who worked so hard to see the success we’ve been fortunate to achieve. I’m proud of our students, educators and community and am incredibly excited to build on this for years to come.”

House Creek was designated an “A” campus in the 2022 Texas accountability rating, the most recent rating. Open since 2011, the campus serves northern Copperas Cove and earned five of six possible STAAR distinctions in the 2022 accountability ratings.

“This accomplishment is an enormous testament to the students, educators and community at House Creek,” CCISD superintendent Dr. Joe Burns said. “This honor puts House Creek in the top 353 schools in the nation, and we truly believe this confirms our goal to be the premier public school district focusing on the whole child. Thank you to TEA commissioner Mike Morath and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona for their recognition of the hard work our community puts in to educating our students.”

“From assistant principal to cafeteria monitor, first grade teacher to custodian and music teacher to interventionist, the staff at House Creek believes in the power of positive relationships,” counselor Amy Simpson said. “When students feel loved and safe, they have the ability to think and work and progress. Although ‘basic needs’ are usually considered things like food, clothing, and shelter, we believe that positive, caring relationships are also essential to the overall success of each individual. At House Creek Elementary, students are physically safe, as well as emotionally safe. This opens doors and creates opportunities for learning and growth.”

National Blue Ribbon Schools are named based on whether they are among their state’s highest-performing schools as measured by state- or nationally-normed tests or if they are among the state’s highest-performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year, based on these criteria, from across the country. This year’s cohort, the 40th since the program began, includes 353 schools, 29 from Texas.

“The honorees for our 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award have set a national example for what it means to Raise the Bar in education,”

said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. As the Biden-Harris Administration partners with states and schools to accelerate academic success and transform educational opportunity in this country, we take tremendous pride in the achievements of these schools and their commitment to empowering educators, serving students, and engaging families.”

Including Tuesday’s announcement, only 794 schools in Texas have received the honor at least once. Nationwide, that total is just under 9,400 total schools that have earned this honor since its inception.

“At House Creek, our community is highly-involved in educating our students, and the school maintains open lines of communication with families through regular meetings, newsletters, and digital platforms,” assistant principal Bethany Stubbs said.

“This partnership between the school and parents creates a supportive network that fosters the overall growth and success of the students. We’re incredibly honored to receive this recognition and continue the great work already started inside our classrooms.”

CCISD is working on a community celebration for this honor. Those details will be released when they become available.