September 19, 2005 - Laurel Mountain Elementary School is one of 25 public schools in Texas to be awarded the 2005 No Child Left Behind—Blue Ribbon Schools Award. The award recognizes outstanding schools that are either "academically superior" in their states or that demonstrate significant gains in student achievement. Laurel Mountain was recognized for student achievement in the top 10 percent on state assessments.

The U.S. Department of Education established the Blue Ribbon Schools program in 1982; the program was redesigned in 2002 under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act to reflect the legislation's goals for high standards and accountability. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes schools that are meeting the NCLB mission to "ensure every child learns, and no child is left behind." State nominees are selected by the Texas Education Agency based on test results and/or improvement in student performance. The U.S. Department of Education presents the national awards. The Blue Ribbon School recipients will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Nov. 10-11.

Jan Richards is principal of Laurel Mountain Elementary School.