By BRAD GASKINS / Staff Writer

INDIAN SPRINGS – Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School has been named a 2011 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

The award recognizes OLV for excellence in teaching, student achievement, leadership, professional development, parent involvement and community support.

Blue Ribbon awards are given to 305 schools out of more than 132,000 public and private schools in the United States. OLV is the only private school in Alabama to receive the award this year and one of 49 private schools nationwide.

It is the second Blue Ribbon award for OLV. The first was for the 1998-99 school year.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will present the award to OLV during a ceremony in Washington Nov. 14-15.

Founded in 1984, OVL has 411 students in preschool through eighth grade.

Receiving the award “inspires us to even greater achievements,” OLV Principal Sandra Roden said.

Roden said the award is a credit to OLV’s faculty for setting high academic standards, students for achieving those standards, alumni and parents for supporting the school and the community for its commitment to the school’s mission.

“Receiving this award is an honor,” said Rev. Msgr. Paul Rohling, pastor of Our Lady of the Valley. “Catholic education is the hallmark of our faith, and the reason why so many of our students have excelled in college and in their personal life.”