School Gets Its Blue Ribbon Review

It’s not just students who have to be on their best behavior.

For the past two days, an inspector has been on campus at Hollow Hills Fundamental School meeting with parents, teachers and Simi Valley Unified School District Supt. Joyce Mahdesian to determine whether the school is as impressive in person as it appears in its application to become a national Blue Ribbon School.

One of two Ventura County schools in the running, Hollow Hills was nominated by the state Department of Education for the award, said Kathryn Crossley, deputy team leader for the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools program.

The other nominee is Westlake Hills School, an elementary school in the Westlake section of Thousand Oaks. Both schools have been designated as California Distinguished Schools.

The Blue Ribbon honor recognizes excellence in student achievement, school improvement, meeting student needs, maximizing resources and decision-making, Crossley said.

Hollow Hills, at 828 Gibson Ave., is one of Ventura County’s top five elementary schools in terms of student performance on standardized tests, according to Principal Leslie Frank.

On its application, the school emphasized its accomplishment in curriculum and instruction, nonacademic programs, its process for hiring staff and making staff assignments, encouraging personal growth for students and citizenship enhancement.

The inspector, a principal from a Blue Ribbon school in Hawaii, will take her observations back to a review panel in Washington.

About 200 schools throughout the United States are recognized with Blue Ribbon campuses each year, Crossley said.