Feb. 11, 2021 – Young Women’s Leadership Academy in San Antonio ISD has been nominated for recognition as a 2021 Texas Exemplary High Performing Blue Ribbon School. It is the only school from the San Antonio and Bexar County area to receive a nomination this year from the state.

“We are humbled to have the commitment and hard work of our team and students recognized by the National Blue Ribbon School program," said Network Principal Delia McLerran. "This recognition is a testament to the quality education and constant support our teachers provide consistently – day after day and year after year! We love what we do for our girls!”

Earlier today, Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency published its annual list of Texas public schools nominations. YWLA is one of 26 schools the state has nominated for the 2021 National Blue Ribbon honors. According to the state’s news release, the 26 schools nominated “exemplify academic excellence.”

YWLA is one of three single-gender schools in SAISD. Its STEM-focused, college-preparatory curriculum for young women in grades 6-12 prepares students to be active leaders in their communities. The school is regularly ranked among the best high schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and Washington Post. It also is listed on the Texas Honor Roll, published by Education Results Partnership.

This is the second time that YWLA has been nominated for this honor. In 2015, the school was nominated by the state, and then awarded the distinction by the U.S. Department of Education. 

“This shows that as strong as the school was in 2015, its results are even stronger today,” said Superintendent Pedro Martinez.

The nominated schools must now complete a rigorous application process conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. National award winners will be announced in September of 2021. Schools that receive the designation are recognized at the Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

A total of three SAISD schools have previously earned the National Blue Ribbon distinction. In addition to Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Travis Early College High School was honored in 2017 and Fox Tech High School was recognized in 2012.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools program was initiated by the U.S. Department of Education in 1982 to recognize public and private elementary, middle, and high schools that have high student achievement and/or highlights where exemplary progress has been made in closing achievement gaps among student populations. Since the program’s founding, 9,000 schools across the nation have received this prestigious designation.

In Texas, public schools are considered for nomination based on student performance on the first administration of the most recent STAAR assessments. Each nominated school has an economically disadvantaged population of 25 percent or more.