ANNAPOLIS — Two Catholic schools serving prekindergarten through eighth grade, one in Calvert County and one in St. Mary’s County, are among 23 schools named 2026-2027 Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools, an honor the state’s school superintendent called one of the highest in education.
Cardinal Hickey Academy in Owings and Father Andrew White, S.J. School in Leonardtown were both honored through the Archdiocese of Washington, according to an Oct. 20 announcement from Gov. Wes Moore’s office. They are the only schools from Calvert, Charles or St. Mary’s counties on this year’s list. No public school from the three counties was selected.
Schools are considered based on performance on state and national assessments and on success in closing achievement gaps among student groups, according to the governor’s office. The program is run by the Maryland State Department of Education with the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Archdiocese of Washington.
The two local schools
Cardinal Hickey Academy, at 1601 West Mount Harmony Road in Owings, serves students from prekindergarten through eighth grade and includes a Montessori preschool program for 3- and 4-year-olds, according to the Archdiocese of Washington’s school listing. Dawn Nazzaro is the principal.
Father Andrew White, S.J. School, at 22850 Washington Street in Leonardtown, also serves prekindergarten through eighth grade, according to its archdiocesan listing. Janet Szoch is the principal.
Kelly Branaman, the Archdiocese of Washington’s superintendent of schools, said in the release that the recognition reflects the work of the archdiocese’s educators, school leaders and families.
A bigger list, and a state-run award
This is a state program, not the federal National Blue Ribbon Schools designation. Moore reinstated the Maryland award last year after the U.S. Department of Education discontinued the national program in August 2025, according to the governor’s office.
This year’s group is more than three times the size of last year’s. The state honored seven schools in the program’s first year back; this year’s 23 include:
- 12 public schools, in Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Harford and Montgomery counties.
- Six Archdiocese of Baltimore schools, including Monsignor Slade Catholic School and School of the Incarnation in Anne Arundel County.
- Five Archdiocese of Washington schools: Cardinal Hickey Academy, Father Andrew White, S.J. School and three Montgomery County schools.
Anne Arundel’s lone public honoree is Severn River Middle School.
State Superintendent of Schools Carey M. Wright called the honorees among the best schools in the state. Moore said in the release that his administration is proud to honor a growing group of schools.
The schools will be formally recognized at the Maryland State Board of Education’s Tuesday, Dec. 8, meeting and again during the General Assembly’s session next spring. Each will receive a Maryland Blue Ribbon School banner, flag and award citations, according to the governor’s office.
