SUWANEE, Ga. (WXIA) -- For the second time in four years, the Gwinnett County Schools has won the coveted Broad Prize for Urban Education.
Gwinnett Schools tied with Orange County Public Schools in Florida as the first to share the prestigious award and split the $1 million prize.
The money is earmarked for scholarships for needy students in each district.
To qualify for the Broad Prize, districts must show progress toward reducing the achievement gap between students at various income levels.
"We do have to educate all children if we ever expect to move forward and fulfill heritage we have in this country," said Gwinnett Public Schools Superintendent Alvin WIlbanks in New York City for the Broad Prize event.
In considering Gwinnett Public Schools, the Broad Foundation said in a release, "A greater percentage of low-income students are reaching advanced academic levels in Gwinnett County than in other districts in Georgia. In 2013, Gwinnett ranked among the top 20 percent of districts statewide for the percentage of low-income students at all education levels (elementary, middle and high school) performing at the highest achievement level in reading, math and science. For example, 33 percent of Gwinnett's low-income middle school students reached the advanced academic level on the state math assessment compared with 19 percent of low-income middle school students in the rest of the state."
Among the highlights of the event in New York City, was a keynote address by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"We want to send a message through you to the other people within the public school system and throughout the country," said Blair. "You got it right (he told the audience). I think we (in the U.K.) can learn from it. I applaud you for it."
Gwinnett County Schools previously won the $1 million Broad Prize in 2010.
