Laguna may get Blue Ribbon

Laguna Beach High School was one of only three Orange County schools to be nominated Wednesday as a 2007-08 Blue Ribbon School.

“I think this distinction is something the entire community can celebrate,” Principal Don Austin said. “A quick look at the list of honored schools indicates that we are truly recognized as one of the elite campuses in the state.”

“The Blue Ribbon nomination is a very high honor signifying a history of excellence for any school given this distinction,” Supt. Robert Fraisse said.

California, which has more than 9,300 public schools, is permitted to nominate only 35 schools statewide; more schools were eligible than the state was allowed to submit.

As any number of nominees can be selected, all 35 have the potential to be named No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools.

Only three schools in Orange County were selected, with Laguna Beach being the only high school. The other two schools were Pioneer Middle School in Tustin and Sun View Elementary in Huntington Beach.

The schools will receive formal invitations to apply from the U.S. Department of Education; the applications will be due in February.

“We have one more step in the process, which is to meet our AYP and API goals for this year,” Austin said.

“It will be important that our kids take the test and give their best efforts. If these two things happen, they can all add National Blue Ribbon School on their college applications,” he said.

Laguna Beach High is listed as a Category C school. The percentage of students in the highest grade tested who score at or above the proficient level in English-language arts and math had to place the school at or above the 90th percentile when compared to other schools in the state.

“Our staff and students have earned this recognition. This is a special place to come to work each day,” Austin said.