Countywide

County Schools Cited:Three Orange County schools are among 20 schools in California named as finalists Thursday in the National Secondary School Recognition Program. Washington Middle School in the La Habra City School District, Corona del Mar High School in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and Marina High School in the Huntington Beach Union High School District were named. The competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, began in 1982 to honor schools unusually successful at meeting students’ educational needs. Between 150 and 200 schools eventually will win the honor this year, officials said. Those schools will receive plaques, and representatives will be invited to Washington, D.C., to receive banners. Last week, in the first round of the statewide competition, 17 of the 84 schools named were in Orange County.