Illinois Names 24 Schools as Blue Ribbon Winners
State officials honored 24 public and private schools for academic excellence and progress in closing achievement gaps.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Illinois has named 24 public and private schools as recipients of the 2026 Governor's Blue Ribbon award. This state-led program honors educational institutions for high academic achievement or success in closing achievement gaps.
Why it matters
The initiative serves to recognize academic excellence in Illinois following the end of the federal Blue Ribbon program. It provides families with a state-vetted benchmark for assessing school performance across the region.
The 2026 class includes 16 public and eight private schools, a slight decrease from the 28 institutions honored in 2025. These schools are selected for demonstrating exemplary academic performance or significant progress in reducing achievement gaps.
The players
JB Pritzker
The current Governor of Illinois who oversees the state education recognition initiatives.
Illinois State Board of Education
The state agency responsible for setting educational standards and administering school recognition programs.
The details
The Governor's Blue Ribbon program was established as a state-level successor after the federal Blue Ribbon program ceased operations. The Illinois State Board of Education evaluates applicants based on their ability to maintain high academic standards or foster substantial growth for students who have historically faced achievement barriers.
Timeline
October 20, 2026: Recognition ceremony held at John Mills Elementary School.
Spring 2027: Planned recognition event at the Governor's Mansion in Springfield.
The Home Front
This state-level initiative follows the discontinuation of the federal Blue Ribbon program, which began in 1982 to identify high-performing schools nationwide. Illinois now maintains its own standards for academic recognition to provide families with consistent quality benchmarks.
Families can use these awards as one data point when evaluating the academic environment and growth progress of local schools. Reviewing school performance metrics remains a useful strategy for parents navigating district choices or local property planning.
The takeaway
The Governor's Blue Ribbon program highlights schools demonstrating consistent academic success or improvement. Parents can use this state designation to better understand the educational strengths of schools within their community.
What happens next
Honored schools will be invited to a special recognition ceremony held at the Governor's Mansion in Springfield during the spring of 2027.
Further reading
Learn more about local educational standards in our Secondary Education section.
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Does your local school district benefit from state-led academic recognition programs?
