| October 23, 2003 |
This morning Congresswoman Kay Granger (R- Fort Worth) will recognize a Fort Worth elementary school that has beaten the odds and achieved one of the country’s most esteemed educational awards – the Blue Ribbon Award.
The United States Department of Education presented the award to Rufino Mendoza Elementary School of Fort Worth, one of twenty-four recipient schools in Texas. The diversity in Mendoza’s student body makes this achievement particularly noteworthy.
Ninety-seven percent of the students at Mendoza are of minority background. Eighty-seven percent of these students come from low income families, and fifty-six percent speak Spanish as a primary language.
Over the past four years, Mendoza teachers, parents, and administrators have worked together to move the school from a merely acceptable rating to the current Blue Ribbon award status.
"Mendoza Elementary School has shown that anything can be achieved if we work hard enough. It has raised the bar in education," said Granger.
Congresswoman Granger presented a United States flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol and a copy of remarks she made on the U.S. House of Representatives floor congratulating the school. Each student was given a blue ribbon to commemorate his or her achievement.
Photos of today’s event can be seen on our website in the multimedia section.