2 County Schools Are Honored

It may be summer vacation, but students and faculty at Meadowbrook Middle School had an academic success this week. The school was one of two secondary schools in San Diego County and 212 nationwide named to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Secondary School Recognition Program for 1984-85.

Meadowbrook and tiny Borrego Springs High School were among nine schools in California to receive the prestigious award. The award honors schools for excellence in test scores, school atmosphere, teaching and administrative leadership.

Meadowbrook, in the Poway Unified School District, has an enrollment of 1,150 students in grades six to eight. Borrego Springs, in the Borrego Springs School District, has an enrollment of 139.

“The reason this school is so exemplary is everyone on this campus works as a team,” said Joan Clifford, Meadowbrook’s school improvement coordinator. Clifford said of the faculty, “We have a lot of respect for one another. When someone from Washington comes in and tells you that, you feel like there’s nothing you can’t do.”

Principal Richard Helbling and Clifford agreed that the community--especially the parents-- contribute to the school’s success. He said that although most middle schools have very little parental involvement, more than 200 parents volunteer their time and skills to the school.