Regina Dominican earns National Blue Ribbon — but then the program was shut down

Blue ribbon or not, the celebration was on at Regina Dominican High School on Friday.

The U.S. Department of Education selected the Wilmette school as a National Blue Ribbon School in early August, just a couple of weeks before that same department canceled the program before officially handing out this year’s honors.

Either way, the Regina Dominican community celebrated its blue-ribbon designation — its first since the 1990s — with a schoolwide assembly on Friday, Sept. 26, at the all-girls Catholic school, 701 Locust Road.

“We got through the whole process and it took a lot of people on our end and the federal end a long time,” School President Krista Gallagher said. “So we are thrilled and we’re not going to let it steal our thunder. We’re going to soak it up and enjoy it and be proud of it.”

Wilmette Village President Senta Plunkett and Regina Board Chairperson Dave Morrison joined Regina students and faculty on Friday to celebrate the honor at the school.

The National Blue Ribbon program began more than 40 years ago and recognizes “overall high academic achievement” in schools throughout the country.

In a press release, Regina Dominican specifically pointed out its advanced placement and honors courses that “empower students to achieve at the highest levels and succeed well beyond high school.”

Principal Kassie Porreca expressed gratitude to Regina’s faculty and students for the earned recognition.

“We are proud of the hard work and commitment of our faculty and the outstanding academic performance of our students, which led to our recognition with this award,” she said. “The rigorous multi-step application process took many months to complete, and we were thrilled to receive the notification that we were to receive the Blue Ribbon award. It’s a validation of our years of hard work to create an academically outstanding high school experience for our students.” 

To be considered for a National Blue Ribbon, schools must submit a 20-page application. While only a small percentage of schools (about 350) are recognized each year, North Shore schools are regulars on the annual list of awardees. To name a few: New Trier High School won in 1990 and 2009; Sacred Heart School (Winnetka) in 2018; The Skokie School (Winnetka) in 2013; Romona Elementary (Wilmette) in 2006, 2017 and 2023; and Faith Hope and Charity (Winnetka) in 2014 and 2023.

It is difficult to identify many previous winners as the program’s web pages and archives have been removed from the department of education website.

According to reporting from Chalkbeat, a nonprofit newsroom that covers education, federal officials told state education officials on Aug. 29 that they had canceled the program in an effort to reduce federal spending on education.

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