Tunstall High School was named a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School Sept. 28. by U.S. Secretary of Education, John B. King, Jr.
Of the 329 public and private schools receiving the honor, only 54 were high schools, making the feat more impressive, said Tunstall High School Principal Brian Boles.
Seven schools were nominated in Virginia, and Tunstall was the only high school selected. The nominees were tapped in February and each had to fill out an extensive survey and application process.
According to Boles, qualifiers were not only about academic excellence, but also about connecting the school to the community. He said THS’ accomplishments were 16 pages long.
Boles said he is ”extremely proud of faculty and students,” saying the accomplishment is “a testament to their dedication. We set the bar pretty high and I’m confident we’ll meet or exceed our mark.”
Pittsylvania County Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Jones said, “Outstanding work; there’s a lot of good things going on there.”
Last year, Tunstall’s newly formed robotics department, with funding by Chatham Sartomer, was awarded ‘Rookie of Year’ after ranking at the national level in competition, said Boles.
This year, THS scored the highest out of Pittsylvania County and Danville City schools in SOL testing, narrowly beating out nationally acclaimed Galileo Magnet High School.
The award is more than further recognition of Tunstall High School, it is also “wonderful for the school district,” Boles said. “It’s certainly marketable and should attract new families looking for good schools. The blue ribbon will also be a high standard that students may uphold to. We’re training them to be proud of good work. That too will bring new jobs and keep families in the area.”
Boles, Jones, and Tunstall High School Librarian Linda Yeatts, along with Central Office administrative staff, will represent the school in November at a two-day awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., to celebrate their hard-won achievements.
For more information about Tunstall High School, call (434) 724-7111; or go to http://www.pcs.k12.va.us for more about Pittsylvania County Schools, and for more information about the National Blue Ribbon Schools program, you may visit http://NationalBlueRibbonSchools.ed.gov.