Lincoln Elementary School was selected as one of only 50 public schools throughout the state invited to apply for the prestigious Illinois Governor’s Blue Ribbon Award. Finalists are chosen based upon rigorous standards for demonstrating academic excellence or making significant progress in closing achievement gaps.
From the group of 50 schools invited to apply, 16 will be honored as a 2026 Illinois Governor’s Blue Ribbon School in the fall of 2026.
The Illinois Governor’s Blue Ribbon program builds on more than 40 years of recognition under the former National Blue Ribbon Schools program, which the U.S. Department of Education ended in 2025. The Illinois program maintains the rigorous standards for identifying top-performing schools..
Lincoln Elementary and Roosevelt Middle Schools were honored as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education in 2015 and in 2012, respectively. Schools become eligible for renomination only after five years have passed. Learn more.