Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy Honored as 2025 Blue Ribbon School

Michigan’s run of charter schools being honored as Blue Ribbon Schools is continuing.

Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy, a K-8 charter school in Plymouth, is the latest charter school to earn the honor, as the school was named a 2025 Michigan Blue Ribbon School by the Michigan Department of Education.

The honor is a testament to strong partnerships between parents and teachers that inspire students to achieve. The school was identified as an Exemplary High Performing school, which means it is among the top performing schools in Michigan as measured by state assessments.

This honor follows a run of Michigan charter schools earning the Blue Ribbon honor. The most recent honorees were Pembroke Academy in Detroit and Chandler Woods Charter Academy in Belmont, both of which were named Blue Ribbon Schools in 2024.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded the Blue Ribbon Schools honor in the past, but discontinued the program this year. The Michigan Department of Education picked up the baton and named the Blue Ribbon Schools for 2025.

Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy’s students, staff and administration were honored at a Blue Ribbon reception at the school on Dec. 1. Among the attendees was a staffer from the office of Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, who presented a legislative tribute to the school. The school is authorized by Bay Mills Community College and managed by National Heritage Academies.

NHA founder J.C. Huizenga and Michigan Association of Public School Academies President Dan Quisenberry were among the dignitaries on hand for the celebration.

“I am so proud that our school is being recognized for our hard work in providing students a high-quality education,” said Principal Sabrina Terenzi. “Our staff works tirelessly to ensure our students are getting personalized instruction to grow all our learners. We focus on growth and it shows in these results.”

Blue Ribbon status is given to public and non-public schools and is based on student performance on state assessments in reading (ELA) and math, or a composite of performance on these assessments. Other student performance measures considered include student growth on state assessments, performance in other subjects on state assessments, and graduation rates.

Plymouth Scholars was one of just 16 schools to receive the Michigan Blue Ribbon honor this year. The school uses NHA’s character-based Moral Focus curriculum to give students a well-rounded education that sets them up for success later in life. Terenzi credited her students for their desire to achieve.

“Our students are actively engaged,” Terenzi said. “They want to learn. They ask questions, investigate and take risks. Because of our tremendous culture, students feel safe to take these risks and be an active learner.”

In a statement announcing the 2025 winners, Interim State Superintendent Dr. Sue C. Carnell said, “Students and parents, school staff, and local communities deserve to be honored for the outstanding achievement by our Blue Ribbon Schools. These schools serve as an example to others and, at the same time, are representative of the accomplishments and progress at schools around the state.”

Other recent accolades for the school include being named the top charter middle school in Michigan in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report school rankings.