Being named a National Blue Ribbon School once is sweet. Twice is like a sundae topped with whole jarful of cherries.

“I’ve got a team of superstars. They’re truly amazing,” said Kelli O’Neil, principal of Soaring Eagles Elementary School in Harrison School District 2.

The southeast Colorado Springs school learned this week that it has won its second National Blue Ribbon award, a coveted honor from the U.S. Department of Education that using data from five years of work to measure overall academic excellence and closing achievement gaps.

It all comes down to a “committed staff that sees vision,” and is willing to give industry best practices a shot, O’Neil said.

O’Neil has been the principal since the school opened 14 years ago off South Hancock Avenue and Drennan Road. At that time, D-2 officials were worried about being able to fill the large new school, O’Neil said.

But Soaring Eagles quickly built a reputation for being hard and challenging.

Turns out, “Parents like that,” O’Neil said.

The school now enrolls 540 students in 28 classrooms. About half of the student body lives in the neighborhood and the other half choices in from other areas, as close as Widefield and Fountain and as far away as Academy School District 20, the principal said.

Families are committed to education, O’Neil said.

“Neighborhood parents and parents who opt to come here have tremendous buy-in to the school,” she said.

Soaring Eagles has done so well that it’s been designated by the state as a host site for struggling schools trying to figure out how to turn around what they’re doing.

“Teams of people come for full days to our classrooms and learn how our school is built from the ground up, to emulate those practices,” O’Neil said.

Teachers sharing knowledge among peers is just one of the proven strategies. What also impresses education types as well as families is that no second is wasted at Soaring Eagles.

“We use every ounce of our resources and time,” O’Neil said.

On any given day, four adults are in each classroom, from teachers and paraprofessionals to those who specialize in English language learners and children with special needs.

“They never sit down at their desk because kids need that constant support, instruction and feedback,” O’Neil said, “and every single kid matters.”

Students at risk of not meeting grade-level benchmarks are flooded with individual attention. Curriculum for accelerated students gets compacted and advances quickly, to keep them interested and engaged. The average student isn’t forgotten, either.

The teachers “work hard to ensure each child gets the attention needed for their particular situation” said Brandy Reel, a mom of two Soaring Eagle students and president of the parent-teacher organization.

“Each child is at their appropriate stage to learn,” she said. “My kids like all of the ways they introduce learning and the prizes they get for hitting goals.”

Twyla Coulier has three grandchildren at Soaring Eagles. Her daughter also was a student. Compared to other schools, Soaring Eagles raises the bar, she said.

“They’re expected to do well, and our fifth-grader has really stepped up to the plate. She’s very proud of herself, as I am,” Coulier said.

Soaring Eagles won its first National Blue Ribbon Award in 2009. It’s one of six schools in Colorado and one of 329 nationwide to be selected for recognition this year.

“Winning the National Blue Ribbon award for a second time places Soaring Eagles among an incredibly elite group of schools and validates the effectiveness of Kelli O’Neil and her staff,” said Edwin Saunders, D-2’s school leadership officer for elementary schools.