State Agency Honors 9 County Schools

Nine elementary schools in the county have been selected by the California Department of Education as California Distinguished Schools.

They are Topa Topa in Ojai; Acacia, Meadows and Wildwood in Thousand Oaks; Hollywood Beach in Oxnard; Brookside and Oak Hills in Oak Park; Bedford Open in Camarillo, and Pierpont in Ventura.

A total of 211 schools, or about 4% in the state, were selected for the award last week.

A California Distinguished School is a school that “enables every student to achieve at higher levels than ever before,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin said.

“In these times of higher expectations and economic hardship, it is especially important to recognize public schools that are addressing the complex challenges our students will face in the future.”

Carol Holly, principal of Topa Topa, which has an enrollment of 656, said receiving the award was a boost to morale.

“It makes us feel good about the hard work we do every day,” Holly said. “We have an extremely dedicated teaching staff, and it shows.”

Aiding in the school’s recognition was a new focus on environmental concerns and writing skills in its curriculum, she said.

“And our test scores are very high,” Holly said.