The Woodrow Wilson Community School of Bayonne School District in Hudson County and School Number 5 of the Linden Public School District, Union County, were named 2021 National Elementary and Secondary Education Act Distinguished Schools, the New Jersey Department of Education announced in a Nov. 23 news release.
The Woodrow Wilson Community School is being recognized for excellence in serving its English learner population of students, and School Number 5 is being recognized based on exceptional student performance and academic growth for two or more consecutive years.
“The Department of Education is proud to recognize the accomplishments of the educators, families and students in these two schools,” said Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, acting commissioner of education. “These school communities are exemplars of how the dedication we see throughout New Jersey results in a high-quality education.”
The 2021 ESEA Distinguished Schools Program is sponsored by the National Association of State Program Administrators. Each state in the association annually selects two schools to receive the award based on student progress and other ESEA indicators of school performance. Each school will receive up to $15,000 to support Title I programs, which are designed to assist schools with high percentages of children from low-income families. Each school also will be recognized along with other ESEA Distinguished Schools at the hybrid National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators Conference in February, where staff from each recognized school will have an opportunity to participate in workshops and other programs.