Pender Early College High School earns the National Blue Ribbon honor.
For the first time in Pender County Schools history, Pender County is home to a National Blue Ribbon School. Pender Early College High School is one of just eight North Carolina and 325 schools nationally to receive the honor from the U.S. Department of Education this year.
Pender Early College was given the mark of Exemplary High-Performing School, meaning the school is among the state’s highest performers as measured by state or national assessments.
“This award is a testament to the hard work by our students and staff,” Pender Early College principal Christie Brown says. “To be among the best in the state is an honor unto itself, but to be recognized nationally is something extra special.
I am so proud of what our staff and students at Pender Early College do every day and grateful to see their work get national recognition.”
Started in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has celebrated the academic achievement of more than 9,000 schools across the country over the last 39 years. Pender Early College becomes the 164th school in North Carolina to receive the Blue Ribbon distinction.
“The work by Mrs. Brown, her staff and the students at Pender Early College is truly outstanding,” Pender County School Superintendent Dr. Steven Hill says.
