4 Schools Compete for National Award

Four Orange County elementary schools were among 40 statewide to be nominated for the U.S. Department of Education’s blue ribbon schools program.

The schools--Barcelona Hills and Fred Newhart in Mission Viejo, Laguna Road in Fullerton and Bryant Ranch in Yorba Linda--now enter the third phase of national competition in the program.

Educational leaders will meet in Washington, D.C., in late January to review the applications from each state, and a federal team member will then visit selected schools for two days this spring. The final blue ribbon schools will be announced in late May.

“I am pleased to recognize these outstanding schools, their leaders and communities,” said William D. Dawson, acting state superintendent of public instruction, in a statement. “They are excellent models for other elementary programs in the state and across the country.”

California’s nominees were selected either for achievement in standardized reading and math tests or for significant improvement in those academic areas. The state’s nominees represent 32 school districts in 16 counties, and range from a small school of 65 students to a large one with enrollment of nearly 1,000.