Since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon School Program has honored America’s most successful public and private elementary, middle, and high schools. National Blue Ribbon Schools are announced in September and honored in November at a recognition ceremony in Washington, D.C. Schools must meet rigorous criteria established by U.S. Department of Education and must be nominated by the State Superintendent of Schools. West Virginia is currently limited to three nominees per year.
| Year & Award Program | County | School | Principal |
|---|
| 1982-83 National Secondary Exemplary Schools | Ohio | Bridge Street Junior High | Michael Pockl |
| Ohio | Triadelphia Junior High | Ted Mattern |
| Ohio | Wheeling Junior High | Tom Innocenti |
| 1983-84 National Secondary Exemplary Schools | Ohio | Wheeling Park High | Phyllis Beneke |
| Kanawha | George Washington High | Paul Callahan |
| 1984-85 National Secondary Exemplary Schools | Pleasants | St. Marys High | Charles Smith |
| 1985-86 National Elementary Exemplary Schools | Harrison | Johnson Elementary | Myra Townsend |
| Randolph | Jennings Randolph Elementary | Vince Delconte |
| 1986-87 National Secondary Exemplary Schools | None selected. |
| 1987-88 National Elementary Exemplary Schools | Marion | East Dale Elementary | Janet Crescenzi |
| Kanawha | Weberwood Elementary | Charlotte Richardson |
| Harrison | Wyatt Elementary | Ben Guido |
| 1988-89 National Secondary Exemplary Schools | Clay | Clay High School | Jerry Linkinoggor |
| 1989-90 National Elementary Exemplary Schools | None selected. |
| 1990-91 National Secondary Blue Ribbon Schools | Clay | Clay Junior High School | Larry Gillespie |
| 1991-92 National Elementary Blue Ribbon Schools | The National Program was cancelled temporarily prior to National Ceremony. These elementary schools were recognized with the secondary schools in 1992-93. |
| 1992-93 National Secondary & Elementary Blue Ribbon Schools | Kanawha | Capital High | John Clendenen |
| Kanawha | Dupont Junior High | Forest Mann |
| Pleasants | Pleasants County Middle | Donna Barksdale |
| Kanawha | High Lawn Elementary | Judy Reed |
| Kanawha | Tiskelwah Elementary | Jorea Marple |
| Ohio | Elm Grove Elementary | Barbara Fassig |
| 1993-94 National Elementary Blue Ribbon Schools | Boone | Lory-Julian Elementary | Carol Hager |
| Clay | Clay Elementary | John Gency |
| Gilmer | Troy Elementary | Dorothy Rhoades |
| Greenbrier | Lewisburg Elementary | William Fox |
| Harrison | West Milford Elementary | Frank Devono |
| Upshur | Buckhannon-Upshur Middle | Steve Paine |
| 1994-96 National Secondary Blue Ribbon Schools | Boone | Sherman Junior High | John Hudson |
| Kanawha | Andrew Jackson Middle | Melanie Vickers |
| Mercer | Princeton Senior High | Ted Gillespie |
| Preston | Preston High | Pat Spangler |
| Putnam | Winfield High | Virgil Rice |
| Wetzel | Hundred High | Jon Shriver |
| 1996-97 National Elementary Blue Ribbon Schools | Upshur | Academy Primary | Scott Lampinen |
| Tyler | Arthur Boreman Elementary | Jeff Hoover |
| Ritchie | Harrisville Elementary | Marion Roby |
| Ohio | Madison Elementary | Roger Warren |
| Kanawha | Midland Trail Elementary | Joyce Embrey |
| Harrison | Norwood Elementary | Phillip Brown |
| Calhoun | Pleasants Hill Elementary | Lawerence Stinn |
| 1997-98 National Secondary Blue Ribbon Schools | Hancock | Weir Middle School | Larry Fernandez |
| Hancock | Weir High School | George Kohelis |
| 1998-99 National Elementary Blue Ribbon Schools | Kanawha | Kanawha City Elementary | Brenda Valentine |
| 1999-2000 National Elementary Blue Ribbon Schools | Greenbrier | Eastern Greenbrier Junior High | John Curry |
| Wood | Jackson Junior High | Richard Board |
| 2000-2001 National Elementary Blue Ribbon Schools | None selected. |
| 2001-2002 National Middle/Secondary Blue Ribbon Schools | Marshall | Sherrard Junior High | Jim Asplund |
| 2003 NCLB - Blue Ribbon Schools | Ohio | Steenrod Elementary | Daniel Coram |
| Wayne | Kenova Elementary | Clara Schoew |
| 2004 NCLB - Blue Ribbon Schools | Braxton | Frametown Elementary | Linda Sears |
| Mingo | Riverside Elementary | Debra Harris |
| Monongalia | Suncrest Middle | Jim Napolillo |
| 2005 NCLB - Blue Ribbon Schools | Raleigh | Crescent Elementary | Danny Pettry |
| Hancock | Weirton Heights Elementary | Juanita Smith |
| Kanawha | George Washington High | Jim Vickers |
| 2006 NCLB - Blue Ribbon Schools | Cabell | Davis Creek Elementary | Sonja Wagner |
| Ohio | Warwood School | Weldon Yoder |
| Harrison | Bridgeport Senior High | Lindy Bennett |
| 2007 NCLB - Blue Ribbon Schools | Greenbrier | Frankford Elementary | Bedford McClintic |
| Putnam | Scott Teays Elementary | Beth Pitzer |
| Wyoming | Pineville Middle | Deirdre Cline |
| 2008 NCLB - Blue Ribbon Schools | Jackson | Ravenswood Middle | Gary Higginbotham |
| Marshall | John Marshall High | Thomas Wood |
| Wood | Williamstown Elementary | D. Keith Enoch |
| 2009 NCLB - Blue Ribbon Schools | Hancock | Liberty Elementary | Stephanie Brown |
| Wirt | Wirt County High | Ken Heiney |
| 2010 NCLB - Blue Ribbon Schools | Jefferson | Shepherdstown Middle | Elizabeth Best |
| Kanawha | Chamberlain Elementary | Nancy Pfister |
| Marion | Fairmont Senior High | Chad Norman |
