County Districts Load Up on State School Honors : Academics: Thirteen elementary campuses have been saluted by the same program. Six are from the Ventura district.

The Ventura Unified School District has earned more California Distinguished Schools Awards for its outstanding educational programs than any other district in the state this year.

A total of 13 elementary schools in Ventura County have received the honor, including six Ventura schools, said Carol Kennedy, the state’s program coordinator. The state awards were established in 1986 and honor those schools that strive to develop strong and innovative curricula.

Of the more than 500 schools that submitted applications for the awards this year, 206 elementary schools received the honor. But Kennedy said Ventura County schools have done consistently well.

“Ventura County has always fared well in state and national awards programs,” Kennedy said. “Over the years, it has been one of the dominant counties in the state, as have San Diego and Santa Clara counties.”

Indeed, four years ago, 10 schools in the Ventura district were honored with Distinguished School Awards, a record that remains unmatched in the county.

This year’s Ventura winners include Loma Vista, Portola, Saticoy, Juanamaria, Junipero Serra and Lincoln elementary schools. Juanamaria, Serra and Lincoln were honored with the same award in 1989.

“I really believe we have an excellent staff,” Supt. Joseph Spirito said. “As a school district we really bust our buttons to get up to snuff.”

Spirito said officials from each of the six elementary schools were presented with plaques during the school board’s meeting Tuesday night. He noted that school officials also attended an awards dinner in Anaheim last week.

Richard Kirby, principal of Loma Vista, said an evolving curriculum and creative teaching methods are the keys in motivating students.

He said Loma Vista teachers work together to prepare their curriculum. Students also work in groups and in some cases tutor one another.

“We always try to keep at the forefront of new teaching methods,” Kirby said. “We just try different approaches because every student learns differently.”

David Gomez, principal of Juanamaria, one of the district’s two-time winners, said his school is planning a picnic next Thursday for teachers, students and parents to celebrate this year’s award as well as the school’s 30th anniversary.

Other Ventura County schools that received awards this year were Weathersfield School in the Conejo Valley Unified School District; Richard Bard and Sunkist schools in the Hueneme Elementary School District; Mar Vista School in the Ocean View Elementary School District, and Las Colinas, El Rancho and Los Primeros schools in the Pleasant Valley Elementary School District.