St. Pius X named a Blue Ribbon School

The only school in New York State to receive this designation

It is certainly a blue-ribbon day for St. Pius X School.

On Friday, Oct. 31, St. Pius X School in Loudonville celebrated after being recognized as a Blue Ribbon School by the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). It was the only school in New York State to receive this designation.

According to its website, “CAPE’s mission is to preserve and promote educational pluralism so that parents have a choice in the schooling of their children. Founded in 1971 to provide a coherent voice for private education, CAPE is dedicated to fostering communication and cooperation within the private school community and with the public sector to improve the quality of education for all of the nation’s children.”

“Receiving the Blue Ribbon School award is a tremendous honor for our parish school. It represents a credit to the dedication and talent of our teachers and staff,” said Father James Walsh, pastor.

The CAPE Blue Ribbon School Award honors schools in one of two performance categories: Exemplary High-Performing Schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests and Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools as measured by the closing of achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

“The application process was spurred on by our school board who felt that SPX would meet the requirements of this distinction,” said Matthew Rucinski, principal. “We applied because we wanted the rest of the country to know what we already knew about our great school. Being honored is extremely humbling but also inspiring to continue toward continuous improvement.”

St. Pius was one of 55 non-public schools nationwide to be honored as a Blue Ribbon School.

“We are incredibly proud of St. Pius X School for earning the Blue Ribbon School designation for academic excellence,” said Dr. Chris Bott, Superintendent of Schools in the Diocese of Albany. “This recognition is a testament to the outstanding leadership of Principal Matthew Rucinski, the faith-filled guidance of Pastor Father James Walsh, and the unwavering commitment of the faculty and staff. This achievement reflects the strength of the entire school community and the transformative power of Catholic education.”