Wheaton's St. Francis High School accepts Blue Ribbon Award in Washington D.C.

On Friday, Nov. 17, St. Francis High School President Phil Kerr and Principal Raeann Huhn accepted the school's National Blue Ribbon School Award from the U.S. Department of Education at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The ceremony, which included a congratulatory speech from U.S. Secretary Department of Education Miguel Cardona, honored the 353 schools that earned the award this year. The recognition is reserved for the top 1% of schools in the nation, who must also complete a rigorous application process.

"Your voices and your leadership have special credibility now," Cardona said. "Celebrate and embrace this opportunity to be the expert in the room on leadership."

St. Francis High School is the only private high school in Illinois to receive the award this year, the only Catholic high school in the western suburbs to ever receive the award, and the only high school in Wheaton (public or private) to ever receive the award.

"This extremely competitive and prestigious award is a testament to the tradition of excellence our school has prided itself on for more than 65 years," President Phil Kerr said.

"This award demonstrates the dedication of our faculty and staff, students, and families," said Principal Raeann Huhn. "We are extremely proud of our school community."