St. Albert was named a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School — one of seven Kentucky schools to earn the distinction — on Sept. 23 by the U.S Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
St. Albert was the only school in Jefferson County selected for the distinction. Holy Cross District High School in the Diocese of Covington was the only other non-public school selected in Kentucky.
Ellen Martin, who has served as St. Albert’s principal for eight years, credited the school’s teachers and their collaborative efforts with parents.
“I give credit to our teachers, our support staff, our parents,” she said in a recent interview.
Teachers “did a great job of using their test scores and curbing their lessons,” she said, explaining that faculty analyze standardized test data to see what needs more attention.
According to a press release from U.S. Department of Education, National Blue Ribbon Schools are “among the top performers in their state as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.”
“Data-driven instruction is a hallmark, and there is a concerted effort to ensure every student succeeds,” it explained. “Collaboration among families, communities, and educators is a key component of their success.”
Martin added, “We all really work together to help make sure everyone is successful.”
Julie Kruer, a parent of two students at St. Albert, said that she feels the teachers focus on their students as individuals.
She and her children have “been able to work together in partnership with their teachers to get them the support they need to do well,” she said.
The school — located at 1395 Girard Drive — serves 753 students from preschool to eighth grade.
This is the third time the school has received the Blue Ribbon designation. St. Albert was first honored in 2004, then honored again in 2015.
Since 2015, Martin noted that the school’s enrollment has grown and the school has focused on addressing social-emotional development and the mental health needs of students.
The school will formally celebrate on St. Albert’s feast day, Nov. 15.
St. Albert is one of 16 elementary schools and five secondary schools in the archdiocese that have previously received this distinction.
The five secondary schools are Assumption High School, Mercy Academy, Sacred Heart Academy, St. Xavier High School and Trinity High School.
The 16 elementary schools are St. Agnes, Ascension, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Gabriel, Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, St. Margaret Mary, St. Mary Academy, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Patrick, St. Raphael, Sacred Heart Model School, St. Aloysius in Pewee Valley, Ky., St. Dominic in Springfield, Ky., St. James in Elizabethtown, Ky., and St. Joseph in Bardstown, Ky.
