‘Above and beyond.’ Tri-Cities school gets national nod for exceptional scores
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- Ruth Livingston Elementary in Pasco earned 2025 National ESEA Distinguished School honor.
- School showed strong grade-level results in English, math and science.
- About 46% of students come from low-income backgrounds.
A Tri-Cities elementary school was awarded a prestigious national recognition for strong academic growth and exceptional student performance.
Ruth Livingston Elementary has been named a 2025 National Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Distinguished School by a group of national school administrators and Washington OSPI.
It is the first elementary school in the Tri-Cities to earn the distinction. It also comes on the heels of a similar state-level recognition Livingston earned in 2024, which qualified it for national merit.
“The National ESEA Distinguished School recognition is especially meaningful because it reflects the dedication and hard work of our students, parents, staff and community partners,” said Principal Joe Jisa in a statement.
“At Livingston, our team consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that everyone who enters our building feels a genuine sense of belonging, and I couldn’t be more proud,” he continued.
The program publicly recognizes schools with a poverty rate of 35% that are funded under at least one federal ESEA program and demonstrate high academic achievement.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was established in 1965 under President Lyndon Johnson’s “war on poverty” agenda. One of its most well-known sections, Title I, provides financial assistance to school district serving low-income families to help close the skill gap in reading, writing and mathematics.
Ruth Livingston Elementary, which has a low-income student population of about 46%, is being recognized for its strong instructional support, academic growth, focus on equity and commitment to continuous building improvement.
About 78% of 4th graders and more than 72% of 5th graders met grade-level standards in English. When it came to meeting math standards, there were about 76% of 4th graders and 60% of both 3rd and 5th graders.
Since 1996, the National ESEA Distinguished Schools program has recognized federally funded schools demonstrating exceptional outcomes for students, either by exhibiting exceptional student performance, closing achievement gaps in certain student groups, or by showing excellence in serving special student populations.
These schools are recognized with a commemorative award package, a dedication on the ESEA Network’s website, and at a special celebration at the National ESEA conference.
Jisa plans to attend the conference Feb. 10-12 in Denver, where they will be recognized alongside other schools.
