2 N. Raleigh schools are Blue Ribbon winners

RALEIGH -- Two North Raleigh schools received the prestigious 2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award from the U.S. Department of Education on Thursday.

The Franciscan School and Quest Academy are among eight schools in North Carolina and 305 nationally that are being honored for overall academic excellence or for success in closing achievement gaps.

The Franciscan School and Quest won because of their high academic performance. For instance, Quest has had a 100 percent passing rate on state exams for the past two years.

The Franciscan School is part of the network of private schools overseen by the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh. Quest is a charter school.

Both schools teach kindergarten through eighth grade.

Since 1982, more than 6,500 schools have received the Blue Ribbon Award, which is open to public and private schools.

This year's winners will be honored in Washington, D.C., in November.