Kiski Area South Primary School is the only school in Western Pa. to be named a National Blue Ribbon School
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Being blue never felt so good.
Kiski Area South Primary School in Washington Township has been named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
National Blue Ribbon Schools are recognized annually by the Education Department for helping under- served groups attain progress and for overall academic performances in the fields of academics, athletics and the arts.
Kiski South was one of 13 schools in Pennsylvania, one of three public elementary schools in the state and the only school in Western Pennsylvania to receive this recognition.
It’s the second school in the Kiski Area School District to receive the distinction, with the former Laurel Point Elementary School in Allegheny Township named a Blue Ribbon School in 2013.
A total of 325 nonpublic and public schools nationwide were awarded 2021 Blue Ribbon status.
Principal Brian Kutchak said he was surprised and thrilled to receive an email from the Pennsylvania Department of Education in February of their nomination.
He assembled an education team to complete the 17-page application.
“I’ve worked 28 years in this business, and I’ve never had a Blue Ribbon School,” said Kutchak, who has worked at Kiski Area since 2004.
The honor is being celebrated at the school in various ways. There was a “Blue Day” for students and staff last week, custom T-shirts are being printed for staff, there will be a teachers luncheon on Oct. 11, a banner is being created by Kiski Area High School industrial arts class, and plans are in the works for a campuswide celebration.
“This honor is the culmination of hard work and dedication from our students, educators, families and stakeholders,” Kutchak wrote in an email to district parents and teachers.
Kutchak credits achieving significant increases on PSSA standardized test scores for the school’s 43% economically challenged students a key reason receiving Blue Ribbon status.
“The increases were in math and language arts. And over the course of the year, we were able to close the achievement gap on PSSA test results for all students,” Kutchak said.
Kiski South enrolls 300 students in grades K-4.
Kutchak said the implementation of professional learning communities were a standout educational component that contributed to being named a Blue Ribbon School.
Created at Kiski South five years ago, the staff received extensive training on how to provide teacher collaboration that increases student achievement through face-to-face cycles of learning.
Kutchak said current teacher collaboration sessions are held virtually because of the pandemic.
“The most effective PLC factors here are mutual trust, data analysis and constant collaboration,” Kutchak said.
“I think any parent would want their child in a top-ranked school,” said Kiski South third-grade teacher Erika Manges.
Manges has taught at Kiski Area for 14 years and her daughter attends Kiski South.
She said the “stellar” school environment, even during the pandemic, promotes hard work by both students and teachers.
“I see the work they do. It’s definitely rigorous and challenging,” Manges said. “It’s exciting to win this school award. As a third-grade teacher, the testing kicks in for getting them ready for the PSSAs. It’s satisfying to know the hard work pays off,” Manges said.
The average class size is 20, taught by 25 educators.
“Receiving this (Blue Ribbon) is a collective effort — a group effort,” Kutchak said. “I’m so proud of my teachers, and this is a huge win.”