Six Indianapolis public charter and private schools won a top federal honor for their scholastic success.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded 16 public and private schools in the state with the 2024 National Blue Ribbon. It’s meant to honor schools that showed progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona says these schools showcase the power of listening to educators and using best practices in teaching math and science.

“You show us what happens when we focus on the instructional core ensuring every student in America receives an excellent education that lets them achieve their dreams,” he said in a video statement.

In Marion County, the winners include the public charter school Paramount Cottage Home and the private Catholic Roncalli High School.

Paramount Cottage Home is part of the local charter network Paramount Schools of Excellence. The elementary school enrolls around 350 students of which more than 80 percent are children of color. Seventy-five percent of students qualify for free or reduced meals due to their family income.

Last school year, 75 percent of students passed the state’s reading exam.

“The school maintains a focus on hard work in the classroom while scaffolding excitement through the staff coffee shop, urban farm, art walk, and extracurricular programming,” according to a write up on the school’s award page. “This creates an uplifting academic environment.”

Five private schools were also awarded, including four in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Roncalli High School enrolls around 1,000 students in grade 9-12. Last year, 75 percent of students were White and 24 percent were economically disadvantaged.

In 2024, 98 percent of Roncalli seniors graduated.

“While the majority of our students will continue to study in a post-secondary educational institution after graduation, about 10 percent of the students will attend a military academy, join the armed services, commit to religious life, or begin a career with a trade certification,” according to the school’s award page.

Across the country 356 schools won the Blue Ribbon this year. Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Indiana Department of Education is part of the nomination  process for the award.

The 2024 Indiana winners are:

• Barr-Reeve Middle/High School, Barr-Reeve Community Schools Inc., Montgomery
• Heritage Christian School, Indianapolis
• Ladoga Elementary School, South Montgomery Com School Corp., Ladoga
• Meadowview Elementary School, Westview School Corp., Shipshewana
• Oak Hill Elementary School, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp., Evansville
• Paramount Cottage Home, Paramount Schools of Excellence, Indianapolis
• Pine Village Elementary School, MSD Warren County, Pine Village
• Porter Lakes Elementary School, Porter Township School Corp., Hebron
• Roncalli High School, Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Indianapolis
• Saint Mary of the Knobs Catholic School, Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Floyds Knobs
• Saint Wendel Catholic School, Diocese of Evansville, Wadesville
• Saints Francis & Clare of Assisi Catholic School, Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Greenwood
• St. Pius X Catholic School, Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Indianapolis
• St. Theodore Guerin High School, Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana, Noblesville
• St. Thomas More School, Diocese of Gary, Munster
• West Lafayette Elementary School, West Lafayette Com School Corp., West Lafayette

Contact WFYI education editor Eric Weddle at eweddle@wfyi.org.