18 LA/OC schools receive national Blue Ribbon honor

LOS ANGELES - Eighteen campuses in Los Angeles and Orange counties were among 33 across the state Tuesday named National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education.

The honor recognizes schools based on their overall academic performance or on their progress in closing achievement gaps among students of different backgrounds.

A total of 353 schools across the country received the honor.

The local schools making the cut were:

• Martha Baldwin Elementary School, Alhambra Unified School District;
• Buena Terra Elementary School, Centralia Elementary School District, Buena Park;
• Charles J. Carver Elementary School, ABC Unified School District, Cerritos;
• Early College High School, Newport Mesa Unified School District, Costa Mesa;
• A.G. Cook Elementary School, Garden Grove Unified School District;
• Thomas Paine Elementary School, Garden Grove Unified School District;
• Horace Mann Elementary School, Glendale Unified School District;
• Glen A. Wilson High School, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, Hacienda Heights
• Los Molinos Elementary School, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, Hacienda Heights;
• Mesa Robles School, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, Hacienda Heights;
• Wedgeworth Elementary School, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, Hacienda Heights;
• Crean Lutheran High School, Pacific Southwest District School District, Irvine;
• Grace Miller Elementary School, Bonita Unified School District, La Verne;
• Downtown Magnets High School, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles;
• San Jose Charter Academy, San Jose Charter Academy, West Covina;
• Susan B. Anthony Elementary School, Garden Grove Unified School District, Westminster;
• Leffingwell Elementary School, East Whittier City School District; and
• Oceanview Elementary School, East Whittier City Elementary School District.

"The honorees for our 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award have set a national example for what it means to Raise the Bar in education," U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement. "The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally."