On Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Melville was announced as a Blue Ribbon School.
A Blue Ribbon Award is a national recognition traditionally given by the U.S. Department of Education to honor schools for their overall academic excellence or for making notable progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups.
The U.S. Department of Education awarded Blue Ribbon status through a program created in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan. But in August 2025, federal officials unexpectedly ended the national program just before announcing this year’s awardees.
Rhode Island responded by creating its own state-level Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Program, ensuring schools nominated for federal recognition would still be honored.
Melville’s moment: Five stars and now a Blue Ribbon-Easy Bay Media
Three RI Schools Receive Blue Ribbon Recognition From the US Department of Education-
GoLocalProv News Team
Rhode Island Awards Blue Ribbon to 3 Schools-The Patch
RIDE Honors 2025 Blue Ribbon Schools-Press Release from RIDE