The state Department of Education will honor four Long Island high schools nominated as National Blue Ribbon Schools before the Trump administration ended the program, Newsday reported. The Long Island public schools being recognized are Harborfields High School in the Town of Huntington, Garden City High School, Manhasset Secondary School and Earl L. Vandermeulen High School in Port Jefferson.
All 19 Blue Ribbon nominees in New York will be honored by the state Board of Regents at a future meeting, according to J.P. O’Hare, a spokesman for the state Department of Education.
On Aug. 29, the U.S. Department of Education informed state education agencies of the decision to discontinue the national Blue Ribbon Schools program, according to state DOE Assistant Commissioner David Frank. The national organization did not consult with the New York State Education Department before doing so.
According to Chalkbeat, the letter informed the state departments the move was “in the spirit of Returning Education to the States.”
“State leaders are best positioned to recognize excellence in local schools based on educational achievements that align with their communities’ priorities for academic accomplishment and improvement,” Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the department, wrote. “Awards conceived by those closest to the communities and families served by local schools will do more to encourage meaningful reforms than a one-size-fits-all standard established by a distant bureaucracy in Washington, D.C.”
The national program began in 1982, and honored public and non-public elementary, middle and high schools. It recognizes schools whose students achieve at high levels as well as schools “making significant progress in closing achievement gaps among different groups of students,” according to the 2025 application.
“A National Blue Ribbon Schools flag waving overhead has become a trademark of excellence, a symbol of quality recognized by everyone from parents to policymakers in thousands of communities,” the application said.
Frank reacted to the news in a letter expressing gratitude to the schools that applied and “continue to deliver excellent outcomes for students across our state.”
“In fact, the commissioner had followed through and formally nominated your school for this national recognition,” Frank said. “Despite this disappointing news, our shared work will continue to reflect New York’s values and priorities: reimagining and transforming education to ensure opportunity for all.”
Frank urged people who are disappointed in the decision to contact the federal Department of Education directly online.
Each of the four schools has been nominated in previous years, the most recent being Manhasset in 2019.
Dr. Christopher J. Pellettieri, interim superintendent of the Manhasset Union Free School District, reacted to receiving the honor for Manhasset Secondary School.
“We are proud to say that we were on the list to receive the award again for this year. To be recognized with such a distinction not once at the secondary school but twice is certainly another great honor. However, we were disappointed to learn soon after that the program was canceled.”
Garden City High School Principal Kevin Steingruebner said he is proud of the hard work students and staff put in to earn the achievement. “It is a validation of the commitment this community has to supporting our schools and continually striving to be better,” he said of the nomination.
However, he expressed disappointment in the program ending.
“We anticipated this might happen even before starting the application process, but it is still a disappointment since we were only weeks away from the official announcement,” he said.
