CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES

“American Idol” finalist and Glendale native Allison Iraheta was honored Tuesday at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ meeting, where she drew crowds and applause for her performances on the top-rated singing competition.

Iraheta, a 17-year-old student at Animo Ralph Bunche Charter High School, was accompanied by her mother, a Salvadoran immigrant, and several relatives. The fourth-place finisher on “Idol” stood out from the suited crowd in her black leather jacket, jeans and Converse sneakers, her black hair dyed pink and blue.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas introduced Iraheta as a “punk, rock, pop” singer, noting that her accomplishments include winning the Telemundo reality show “Quinceanera” in 2006 and twice completing the Los Angeles Marathon. She is preparing to join fellow Idols on a 50-city concert tour.

“She is our very own American Idol,” Ridley-Thomas said. “We wish you the very best.”

Iraheta thanked the supervisors for their support and gave a shout-out to the 25 fellow Green Dot charter high school students from Animo Pat Brown High School she spotted in the audience. The students cheered.

Their school was among 47 high schools and middle schools in the county honored by supervisors for being chosen as one of 125 California Distinguished Schools this year based on student test scores and achievements.

Seated with them was Green Dot founder Steve Barr, who said he knows Iraheta and her sister and father, who both work at her high school. Barr said he had never heard of “Idol” until Iraheta’s father mentioned she made the cut. Barr immediately became a fan.

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske