District school among national Blue Ribbon honorees

Hill-Freedman World Academy, a magnet school in Northwest Philadelphia, has won a National Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education, Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Tuesday.

It was one of several schools in the area to score the presitigious honor. The others are Franklin Towne Charter High School in Philadelphia, Merion Elementary School in Lower Merion, Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Flourtown, and Norwood-Fontbonne Academy in Philadelphia.

Long a middle school, Hill-Freedman is in the process of expanding to educate students in sixth through twelfth grades. It currently has middle school students and high school freshmen and sophomores, 400 students split between two buildings.

It's unique as a city magnet school - while gifted students make up about 70 percent of its population, the other 30 percent of the study body receive special education services. It also offers the rigorous International Baccalaureate program.

Its students post top scores on state exams. In 2013, 93 percent met standards in math and 95 percent in reading.

Principal Anthony Majewski planned to livestream Duncan's Tuesday afternoon Blue Ribbon announcement with middle school students, celebrating Hill-Freedman's honor with soft pretzels.

"I am the luckiest principal on earth," Majewski said on Tuesday. "I got to pick an awesome staff, our kids are amazing, our parents are amazing. We've created a positive, academically rigorous environment. Everybody is pushing to the next level, and they don't ever give up."

The Blue Ribbon is a coveted prize - won in prior years by Philly standouts such as Masterman and Central. Hill-Freedman previously won the honor in 2006.

"The application process," Majewski said, "is no joke."

But the reams of paperwork were well worth it, said Majewski.

"It's an honor, a huge honor," he said. "Very few schools in this area get to wear that badge."