Obama Administration Names Ellicott City School 'Green Ribbon School'

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was in Glover Park Monday morning to congratulate  and 77 other schools from across the country for being the first-ever U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Green Ribbon Schools.

Dunloggin was one of four Maryland schools to earn the honor. The other winners were Francis Scott Key Middle School in Silver Spring; Folger McKinsey Elementary School in Severna Park; and Lucy Middle School in Middletown.

Seventy-eight schools were chosen from 29 states and D.C.

Students met with officials including Duncan; White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley; Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson; and D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown.

"Every single child should have a clean and healthy place to learn," said Jackson, adding that the collaboration among agencies through the Green Ribbon program will ensure that goal.

According to Duncan, winning schools were chosen based on a spectrum of qualifications, including impact of environment on student achievement, cost reduction, student engagement, benefits to the community.

The selected schools were a "win, win, win, win in every category," Duncan said.

Next year's competition will open in summer 2012. State agencies are encouraged to send their intents to submit nominees by June 15, 2012 via email to green.ribbon.schools@ed.gov.