South received the 2026 Governor’s Blue Ribbon Award for Academic Excellence, making it one of 24 K-12 schools across Illinois to earn this
recognition.
This program, established by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), recognizes schools for academic excellence—marked by high achievement, graduation rates, and proficiency—or for significant progress in closing student achievement gaps, District 225 Superintendent Dr. R.J. Gravel said.
“We do a great job recognizing our schools in our community, but this is now a statewide recognition, and that’s humbling,” Gravel said.
The award was presented on Oct. 20 by Pritzker and the ISBE at John Mills Elementary School in Elmwood Park, IL. Now in its second year, the program celebrates educational excellence after the federal program ended, Pritzker said.
“We believe that hard work and educational attainment should be celebrated,” Pritzker said. “Students who study hard, teachers who put in extra hours, and administrators who carry out a long-term vision for excellence should all be recognized—especially at a moment when quality education is more important than ever.”
The honorees have different communities, students, and stories, but all share the goal of helping students succeed, Dr. Tony Sanders, Illinois State Superintendent of Education, said. By recognizing exemplary schools, the award offers a learning opportunity, Sanders added.
“When we identify schools that are achieving great things for students, we also create opportunities for us to learn from them,” Sanders said. “We know that awards like this don’t happen because of one person or one initiative. They are the result of thousands of decisions and interactions.”
K-12 education in Illinois has reached new heights, as it was recently ranked 5th in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. Illinois also achieved its highest high school graduation rate in state history, Pritzker added.
“We have this tremendous development in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “Students, teachers, and faculty are raising the bar and showing what is possible when we invest in our kids and help them to reach their full potential.”
