LAKE VILLA – Prince of Peace Catholic School announced it has earned a 2021 National Blue Ribbon Award.

Prince of Peace is the only Catholic elementary school in the state and one of only four schools in Illinois to have earned the award this year, according to a news release.

It is the second time that Prince of Peace has won the award.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized Prince of Peace Catholic School as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2021 and other schools based on overall academic excellence or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Prince of Peace received the award for being an “exemplary high-performing school,” demonstrating that all students can achieve high levels, according to a news release.

Prince of Peace, which won its first National Blue Ribbon Award in 2014, has worked to ensure that the school continues to be high performing. Faculty and staff worked together to update and upgrade the curriculum program in math, science, social studies and reading. The more advanced material has an online component and teaches to higher standards, integrating skills and information across the platform.

Additionally, the school recently completed a new STEM lab to teach integrated lessons that use science, technology, engineering and math. The dedicated space provides the ability to be more organized for long-term projects and to collaborate with other grade levels while incorporating STEM more heavily into the daily curriculum.

The handling of the COVID-19 pandemic is another way that Prince of Peace stands out, the release stated. During remote learning (March to June 2020), faculty, staff, parents and students worked together to reimagine learning methods and successfully keep the school’s reputation for academic excellence intact.

During the 2020-21 school year, when many schools remained remote, Prince of Peace worked with the Archdiocese of Chicago and local guidelines to return to in-person school. As a result of the many stringent safety protocols, students successfully returned to their classrooms.

“Our faculty, staff and teachers work hard every day to make Prince of Peace a safe place for our students to learn and to thrive. We are proud to be recognized as a National Blue Ribbon school,” Principal Stephanie Stoneberg said in the release. “Being a two-time winner is a wonderful honor for our school and parish community.”

The Department of Education will honor 325 schools at a recognition ceremony in November. In its 39-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools in the U.S.

For information on Prince of Peace Catholic School, call Stoneberg at 847-356-6111 or visit http://school.princeofpeacelv.org/.