Pioneer Elementary in Pierz Named a National Blue Ribbon School

Since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has spotlighted the best schools in the United States and shares the best practices of outstanding schools nationwide. This year, Pioneer Elementary in Pierz was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School.

Pioneer met the criteria as an Exemplary High Performing School. For Principal Tom Otte, the award serves as an acknowledgment of the work the staff have put in to ensure students are prepared.

“In the end, what it means to to me and to our school is it’s a recognition for the hard work that our staff have put in,” he said. “We’ve had really good results here. Our achievements been high for a number of years.”

Since receiving word that Pioneer Elementary would be recognized, it has been a morale booster for staff members.

“We talk about ourselves being a family here at Pioneer, and I think it just, when you have the recognition, it certainly is an uplifter,” explained Otte. “Everybody walks a little taller in their shoes, and they should. And it’s a good recognition to say, you know, that the work we’re doing has been validated and hopefully our staff feels that.”

The award is not only a sign of the hard work that the staff put in at Pioneer Elementary, but it also represents the support that the Pierz community has as a whole for education.

“The school is a center of what happens here, and it should be,” Otte emphasized. “When we’re full here between the elementary and the high school, we have about … 1,200 kids and 1,400 people. That’s the same as the population of our community. And so we certainly take great pride in representing our community, and our community takes great pride in how we do that.”

Being recognized with a Blue Ribbon Award is one of the highest honors a school can receive. But that doesn’t mean the staff at Pioneer Elementary don’t want to improve on the already high standards they have set.

“I was in a meeting this morning with Assistant Principal Wendy Becker and a group of teachers and the conversation for 45 minutes was, ‘This is what we did last year, but we want to be better this year. How do we do that?” Otte added. “And that’s the attitude we have just, you know, from one day to the next, you just keep pushing, plugging away. It’s what we do.”

356 schools were recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools in 2024. Pioneer Elementary is one of seven schools in Minnesota to receive the honor.