Lake County Gazette

Two schools in Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181, Clarendon Hills Middle School and Walker School, have received the National Blue Ribbon School Award. This recognition follows a year-long application process and evaluation. The district now has five National Blue Ribbon awards since 2018 and is the only school district in Illinois with two schools honored this year.

The National Blue Ribbon Award is given to schools ranked among the top K-12 institutions in the country. To be eligible, public schools must score within the top 15 percent in their state on standardized tests. In recent years, 356 schools have been recognized from up to 420 nominations nationwide. Clarendon Hills Middle School and Walker School were selected from 4,386 K-12 schools in Illinois.

Dr. Levi Brown, Principal of Clarendon Hills Middle School, said, “We are profoundly proud of the consistent dedication and hard work exhibited by our students and staff. I am humbled and honored to have served at CHMS for the past ten years. We are pleased to be able to share our school's accolades and achievements with the entire nation, particularly as we also received the National Green Ribbon Award just last year. We are beyond excited to celebrate our second Blue Ribbon Award at CHMS!”

Eric Chisausky, Principal of Walker School, stated, “As Principal for thirteen years, I have observed our students and staff at Walker School consistently exceeding expectations in their academic pursuits. We were delighted to be nominated by the U.S. Department of Education last year, and to highlight the incredible work of our students and staff. The Walker School community has demonstrably earned this prestigious award, and we take great pride in being recognized as one of the top-performing schools in the nation.”

Superintendent Dr. Hector Garcia commented, “District 181 comprises nine exceptional schools, and collectively, we have garnered eleven National Blue Ribbon awards over the years. Our objective is to continue showcasing the outstanding capabilities of our students, staff, and community members to the nation.”

William Cotter, President of the District 181 Board, added, “As a Board Member, I am exceedingly proud each time our schools receive this prestigious award. District 181, as evidenced by its history, maintains a long-standing tradition of educational excellence.”

Both schools learned they had won in early August. Shortly after that notification, District 181 was informed that the program would be discontinued. The district is waiting for details about an Illinois-based ceremony since previous ceremonies were held in Washington DC.

Dr. Hector Garcia further stated, “I invite everyone to join me in congratulating both Clarendon Hills Middle School and Walker School for earning the National Blue Ribbon and becoming a part of an elite number of schools that have received this prestigious award across the country.”

Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 serves DuPage and Cook counties. It includes nine schools: Clarendon Hills Middle School; Elm Elementary; Hinsdale Middle; Madison Elementary; Monroe Elementary; Oak Elementary; Prospect Elementary; The Lane Elementary; and Walker School (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to state data from 2020, District 181 spent $31,308 per student for a total expenditure of $117 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district’s teaching staff numbers 282 with an average salary of $94,227 before pension contributions; ninety percent are women (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The student population is nearly seventy percent White with Asian students making up over fifteen percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).