Barret Traditional Middle School named as Blue Ribbon School

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A school in the Jefferson County Public Schools district recently edged out more than 130,000 schools nationwide — including private and parochial schools — to snag a distinguished award.

Barret Traditional Middle School was one of just 362 schools in the country recognized as a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

Built in the 1930s on a hill off Grinstead Avenue, Barret Traditional Middle School has a history of academic excellence. Principal Tom Wortham said he knows the secret.

"To me, the magic sauce is the parent factor," he said.

Wortham has been principal at Barret for 18 years, and he said in addition to great teachers in the classrooms, it's parental involvement that makes Barret special.

"We have parents who are invested in their child's education, who are supportive of the initiatives of the school, who are involved at home and check in with their kids at night," he said. "To me, that is the big difference-maker."

Parents have to enter a lottery to get their children into the traditional program, with about a 50/50 chance of getting in. Previous report cards don't matter. Some students arrive several grade levels behind in reading skills and more.

"We have the interventions in place to help them get up to par and get on grade level," Wortham said.

Principal Tom Wortham, Barret Traditional Middle School

Barret has a strict uniform dress code, but "traditional" doesn't always mean old-fashioned.

"A lot of people think in the traditional program it's the old sit-and-get where your kids are sitting in nice straight rows and your teacher is up front," Wortham said. "And that is not the case at all."

Innovative techniques and new teaching methods are common at the school in order to see that kids grasp what they need to know.

Beyond the books, there is Barret Cares, a program of charity and volunteer work. This week, students were packaging dog food and treats for homeless people's pets.

"That's just amazing to see: 11-, 12-, 13-year-olds kind of stepping outside and thinking about someone other than themselves," said Beth Luckett, a sixth grade language arts teacher at the school.

The Blue Ribbon awards have been around for 37 years, and looking at the records, only a handful of Kentucky middle schools have been selected as Blue Ribbon schools.