On October 29, 2025, Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education announced that Bryant Elementary School was among four Iowa schools selected as the state’s inaugural Iowa Blue Ribbon Schools for 2025 during a ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol. Formerly the National Blue Ribbon Schools, the prestigious program is now a state-led recognition initiative, honoring some of the state’s top-performing schools.
“I am thrilled to recognize each of Iowa’s Blue Ribbon Schools for their hard work to earn this well-deserved honor and their dedication to helping every student succeed,” Gov. Reynolds said. “This year Iowa was excited to help lead the way in launching this prestigious program as a statewide initiative to continue to honor high-performing schools, highlighting the transformational work that takes place every day in their classrooms.”
Joining Bryant on the list of 2025 Blue Ribbons Schools are Albia Middle School, George-Little Rock Elementary, and Prairie Hill Elementary School.
“Iowa’s inaugural Blue Ribbon School designation recognizes these school communities as models of excellence in Iowa and across the nation, celebrating the accomplishments of students, educators, and families across all corners of the state,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “We applaud Iowa’s Blue Ribbon Schools for their leadership to advance evidence-based reading and math instruction, support teachers in doing their best work, and empower students with multiple pathways to postsecondary success. The Department is proud to join Iowans in continuing to honor our exceptional schools that provide all students what they need to meet high expectations and realize their incredible potential.”
The U.S. Department of Education (USED) announced in August that it was transitioning the Blue Ribbon Schools recognition program to states, providing the opportunity to celebrate exemplary schools that are achieving their unique educational goals. Previously, the Blue Ribbon Schools program was jointly administered by USED and state departments of education, and the important work of identifying schools for recognition was always done at the state level
In its inaugural year, schools recognized through the Iowa Blue Ribbon Schools program were identified based on the prior National Blue Ribbon Schools requirements. Iowa’s four designees were honored as Exemplary High-Performing Schools, which are measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. Each of these schools performed in the top 15 percent of all Iowa public schools based on overall performance on school accountability indicators, including student proficiency and growth.