Six Orange County schools are among the 2023 National Blue Ribbon School winners this year.

Blue Ribbon schools are awarded by the U.S. Department of Education based on high-performance levels and the schools’ ability to close achievement gaps. The latest round of awardees — announced on Tuesday, Sept. 19 — include schools in the Centralia Elementary, Garden Grove Unified, Newport-Mesa Unified and Pacific Southwest districts.

Related: These Orange County high schoolers are National Merit semifinalists for 2024

“Congratulations to our outstanding Blue Ribbon Schools, where academic excellence and unwavering support for every one of our students is exceptional,” said California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond. “Your commitment to fostering an inclusive and exceptional learning environment exemplifies the true essence of education. Your dedication inspires us all, and we celebrate your remarkable achievement.”

This year’s Orange County winners are:

• A. G. Cook Elementary School in Garden Grove

• Buena Terra Elementary School in Buena Park

• Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine

• Early College High School in Costa Mesa

• Susan B. Anthony Elementary School in Westminster

• Thomas Paine Elementary School in Garden Grove

Thirty-three schools in California received the recognition this year, including John F. Kennedy Middle College High School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District and Downtown Magnets High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Last year, Woodbridge High School in Irvine was the only school in Orange County to be awarded this title.

This is the 40th cohort of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, bestowing approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,700 schools over the years. In total, 353 received the honor across the country this year.

Schools are nominated for the award by their state’s chief education official (in California, that’s the superintendent of public instruction), the Department of Defense Education Activity or the Bureau of Indian Education. Those nominated schools then complete applications for the Department of Education showcasing their culture and curriculum, among other things.

A complete list of the 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools can be found on the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

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