Lone Star Ribbon Schools
Contact Information
Lisa Palin, Lone Star Ribbon Schools Liaison
Office of the Commissioner
lisa.palin@tea.texas.gov
Texas Education Agency
1701 North Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78701-1401
Celebrating Excellence in Texas Public Education
The Lone Star Ribbon Schools program honors Texas public schools for outstanding academic performance and meaningful progress in closing achievement gaps. Established by Governor Greg Abbott in 2025, it replaces the federal National Blue Ribbon Schools program, which transitioned to state leadership in August 2025.
Recognized campuses:
- Achieve at the highest levels in Reading and Mathematics
- Excel across student groups
- Demonstrate measurable improvement in achievement gaps
Nomination Criteria:
Schools are selected for the Lone Star Ribbon Schools Program each year through a rigorous quantitative process that identifies campuses demonstrating exceptional academic achievement or significant success in closing achievement gaps among historically underserved student groups. Eligible campuses must meet high standards for academic performance, including earning an overall A rating, maintaining strong ratings across accountability domains, and demonstrating consistent student success on state assessments.
Schools must also meet requirements related to campus stability, enrollment, accountability, safety, testing integrity, civil rights compliance, and special education compliance. Eligible campuses are ranked using state assessment data, with additional measures such as graduation rates and college, career, and military readiness outcomes considered for high schools. For the Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing category, campuses are evaluated on their success in reducing performance gaps between underserved student groups and statewide student performance over time.
Final nominations are based on these rankings and the application of all eligibility and exclusion criteria to ensure recognized schools exemplify excellence, equity, and sustained student achievement. There is no proactive application process for selection as a Lone Star Ribbon School. For more information about the methodology used to rank schools, reach out to the Lone Star Ribbon Schools Liaison.
2026 Honorees
The following 25 schools are recognized as 2026 Texas Lone Star Ribbon Schools:
- Aledo ISD – Coder Elementary School
- Brazosport ISD – Gladys Polk Elementary School
- Corpus Christi ISD – Faye Webb Elementary School
- Dallas ISD – Dr. Wright L. Lassiter Jr. Early College High School
- Dallas ISD – Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School
- Dallas ISD – School for the Talented & Gifted in Pleasant Grove
- Edinburgh CISD – Austin Elementary School
- Harmony Public Schools – Harmony School of Excellence – Sugar Land
- Laredo ISD – Heights Elementary School
- Laredo ISD – J.C. Martin Jr. Elementary School
- Laredo ISD – Leyendecker Elementary School
- Laredo ISD – Ryan Elementary School
- Lindale ISD – College Street Elementary School
- Raymondville ISD – Smith Elementary School
- Raymondville ISD – Pittman Elementary School
- Roma ISD – Emma Vera Elementary School
- Rio Grande City – Grulla ISD – General Ricardo Sanchez Elementary School
- Stratford ISD – Mary Allen Elementary School
- Spring ISD – Edward Roberson Middle School
- Texas City ISD – Heights Elementary School
- Tidehaven ISD – Blessing Elementary School
- United ISD – San Isidro Elementary School
- Ysleta ISD – Glen Cove Elementary School
- Ysleta ISD – Presa Elementary School
- Wellington ISD – Wellington Elementary School
Press Releases
Governor Abbott Announces 2026 Lone Star Ribbon Schools (September 17, 2026)
Governor Abbott Announces Inaugural Lone Star Ribbon Schools (September 29, 2025)
Previous Honorees
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The following 26 public schools are recognized as 2025 Texas Lone Star Schools:
- Barbers Hill ISD – Barbers Hill Elementary North
- Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD – Kent Elementary
- Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD – Rosemeade Elementary
- George West ISD – George West Primary School
- Harmony Public Schools (Houston West) – Harmony Science Academy – Katy
- Harmony Public Schools (Houston West) – Harmony Science Academy – Sugar Land
- Harmony Public Schools (North Texas) – Harmony Science Academy – Euless
- Houston ISD – Carnegie Vanguard High School
- Houston ISD – Project Chrysalis Middle School
- Houston ISD – Thompson Elementary
- Hunt ISD – Hunt School
- La Joya ISD – Diaz-Villarreal Elementary
- Lamar CISD – Meyer Elementary
- Laredo ISD – Daiches Elementary
- Laredo ISD – D D Hachar Elementary
- Laredo ISD – Macdonell Elementary
- Mumford ISD - Mumford Elementary
- Palo Pinto ISD – Palo Pinto Elementary
- Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD – PJSA Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School
- Roma ISD – Delia Gonzalez Garcia Elementary
- Roma ISD – RT Barrera Elementary
- Sharyland ISD – Harry Shimotsu Elementary
- Tidehaven ISD – Markham Elementary
- Tyler ISD – Tyler ISD Early College High School
- Whitehouse ISD – Stanton-Smith Elementary
- Wylie ISD – Dodd Elementary
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For decades, Texas schools were honored through the National Blue Ribbon Schools program. We thank the educators, students, and families who contributed to that legacy. The Lone Star Ribbon Schools initiative builds on that foundation, celebrating excellence with a distinctly Texas lens.
- U.S. Secretary of Education Announces Recipients of the 2024 Terrel H. Bell Awards for Outstanding School Leadership (October 16, 2024)
- Governor Abbott Celebrates 31 Texas National Blue Ribbon Schools (September 23, 2024)
- U.S. Secretary of Education Announces Recipients of the 2023 Terrel H. Bell Awards for Outstanding School Leadership
- 26 Texas Public Schools Receive National Blue Ribbon Honors (September 19, 2023)
- 31 Texas schools named 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools | Texas Education Agency
- TEA Commissioner congratulates 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools
- TEA Excited to announce the nomination of 26 Texas schools as 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools designees
- 26 Texas schools named 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools (September 21, 2021)
- 23 Texas public schools receive 2018 national Blue Ribbon honors (October 1, 2018)
- 26 Texas schools nominated for 2018 national Blue Ribbon honors (January 17, 2018)
- 26 Texas public schools receive 2017 national Blue Ribbon honors (September 28, 2017)