LANSING – City High Middle School is one of 16 high-performing Michigan schools that are being recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).
“This honor is a direct reflection of the dedication our scholars and staff demonstrate every single day," said GRPS Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby. "Their hard work and commitment to growth make achievements like this possible. We are thrilled to be recognized with such a prestigious award, and it inspires us to continue striving for excellence.”
City High Middle School, which offers a comprehensive International Baccalaureate program at no cost to scholars, was first recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2019. In U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 rankings, it placed third among Michigan high schools and earned a spot in the nation’s top 50.
"It is a tremendous honor for City High Middle School to receive this recognition for a second time in six years," said City High Middle School Principal Charlotte 'Charlie' Vandervliet. "We have worked to make our programming more accessible to scholars around the city by eliminating certain entrance criteria, yet still holding true to our high academic standards and maintaining the ability to not only meet, but exceed performance criteria. I am incredibly proud of the work our teachers and scholars put in each day and am beyond thankful for the support from our families and community."
The State Board of Education will hold a special ceremony at its Nov. 13 meeting to honor the Michigan public schools that the department nominated as Blue Ribbon Schools.
“Students and parents, school staff, and local communities deserve to be honored for the outstanding achievement by our Blue Ribbon Schools,” said Interim State Superintendent Dr. Sue C. Carnell. “These schools serve as an example to others and, at the same time, are representative of the accomplishments and progress at schools around the state.”
MDE nominated the schools for being Exemplary High-Performing Schools, which are among the state’s highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
In previous years, the U.S. Department of Education bestowed the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Schools designation in recognition of schools that excelled in academic performance or made significant strides in closing achievement gaps among different student groups. However, this year the federal education department discontinued the national program after the nominations had been submitted.
“MDE and the State Board of Education want to make sure these outstanding schools in our state get the recognition they deserve,” said State Board of Education President Dr. Pamela Pugh. “These Michigan schools are worthy of national attention, so it is very disappointing that Blue Ribbon Schools no longer will be honored by the U.S. Department of Education. State board members are looking forward to learning more about the successes of these schools.”
Recognition of the outstanding schools is scheduled for 9:40 a.m. during the State Board of Education meeting at the John A. Hannah Building in Lansing. The Nov. 13 meeting also will be livestreamed with a link that will be posted on the homepage of Michigan.gov/MDE on that date.
