No local blue ribbon schools

The U.S. Department of Education released its list of 287 blue ribbon schools this afternoon, and no schools from Northeast Alabama made the cut.

Honorees can be public or private schools that either 1) have at least 40 percent of their students come from disadvantaged backgrounds and show significant improvement on No Child Left Behind goals, or 2) regardless of student makeup, score in at least the top 10 percent of their state on proficiency tests.

"These schools are proving that when we raise the bar our children will rise to the challenge," Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said in the announcement release. "It takes a lot of hard work by teachers and students to become a blue ribbon school, and it's a privilege to celebrate their great efforts.

Alabama had three schools on the list: Forest Avenue Academic Magnet Elementary School in Montgomery, K.J. Clark School of Mathematics, Science and Technology in Chickasaw, and Virgil I. Grissom High School in Huntsville.

The Donoho School received the award in 2005.

For a complete list of blue ribbon winners, go here.