Gallegos, Pullam nominated as Blue Ribbon schools

Two Brownsville Independent School District elementary schools were among 26 schools nominated Thursday by Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency as 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Pullam Elementary was nominated as an Exemplary High Performing School, and Gallegos Elementary was nominated as an Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing School.

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

Teresa Villafuerte

At Gallegos, Principal Teresa Villafuerte said the faculty and staff work hard to make sure all students are successful and that the Blue Ribbon nomination shows they are achieving this goal.

“We are extremely proud of this recognition and want to thank all of our students and parents that have contributed to our success,” she said.

Pullam Elementary Principal Celia De Los Santos said her school was humbled and honored to receive the nomination.

Celia de los Santo

“It is the result of a campus climate and culture which drives the motivation and dedication from our teachers and staff. Along with this, we include our Pullam parents who are a crucial component to our success. As a community, we have always strived to work together to make Pullam what it is today, and that makes me very proud,” she said.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes 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 subpopulations.

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