Saint Elizabeth’s is the only private Catholic school in Pennsylvania to be recognized with this award.
Saint Elizabeth Parish School in Chester Springs (Chester County) was selected as part of the inaugural 2025 Blue Ribbon Schools in announcement made by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
The PDE designated thirteen schools recognized in both or either of two performances categories: Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing School or Exemplary High Performing School. Saint Elizabeth’s is the only private Catholic school in the state to be recognized by the PDE, and the only school named in the Exemplary High Performing Category. This category is for top performers in the state as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
Andrew McLaughlin, Ed.D, Secretary for Elementary Education for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said, “On behalf of my colleagues in the Office of Catholic Education, I offer prayerful congratulations to the Saint Elizabeth Parish School community for being recognized as an inaugural 2025 Blue Ribbon School by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and for the distinction of being the only school in the state named in the Exemplary High Performing Category.” He continued, “This remarkable accomplishment emphasizes the hard work and dedication of the faculty, students, and school families.”
In addition to this honor, Saint Elizabeth Parish School has also been recognized by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Office of Catholic Education (OCE) as an Archdiocesan School of Distinguished Instruction. This year, they were among 62 parish and regional elementary schools to receive that honor from OCE.
Reverend John E. Donia, Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Parish, and Mrs. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Principal of Saint Elizabeth Parish School, shared this announcement in a letter to their parish and school families. “Being named a Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon School is a testament to our shared mission to provide a Christ-centered education that nurtures the whole child – spiritually, academically, and socially. It reflects the countless hours of studying, teaching, and praying that take place within our school walls and beyond.”
The PDE will recognize the inaugural 2025 Blue Ribbon Schools at its annual SAS Conference on Tuesday, December 9 in Hershey.
About Saint Elizabeth Parish School
Saint Elizabeth Parish School was established in 2006 to meet the educational needs of the children of the parish in an academically rigorous, faith-filled environment. Saint Elizabeth’s is committed to fostering in its students a lifelong love for learning and the development of the skills needed to become well-informed, accomplished, and dedicated leaders. For additional information about Saint Elizabeth Parish School, please visit stelizabethparishschool.org/.
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Editor’s Note:
For more information about Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit aopcatholicschools.org/. For information about the 2025 Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon Schools, please visit here.
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