12 Ventura County elementary schools receive state plaudits
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Editor's note: This story was updated to fix an error. Meadows Arts and Technology Elementary School is an independent charter school, not a part of Conejo Valley Unified School District.
One dozen Ventura County elementary schools were among the 356 honored as 2023 California Distinguished Schools, the state education secretary announced Friday.
"It is my pleasure to honor and recognize these 356 elementary schools for providing outstanding public education and opportunities to students," education secretary Tony Thurmond said in a news release. "Their innovation and hard work have helped to ensure their students can heal, recover and thrive — even in the toughest times."
Conejo Valley Unified School District, which serves 6,400 kindergarten to fifth-grade students across 18 elementary school programs, led the way with seven schools picking up the designation.
"These recognitions are a testament to the dedication of our school site teams who continue to innovate each and every day to provide exceptional educational experiences to our scholars," district superintendent Mark McLaughlin said in a statement.
Oak Park Unified School District had two of its three elementary schools receive the award while three charter schools – Meadows Arts and Technology Elementary School in Thousand Oaks, Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education and the multi-site, independent-study based River Oaks Carter Academy – rounded out the list.
"This designation really emphasizes all the hard work of our staff and students. We are extremely proud of them and appreciate the state's recognition of our work by giving us this award," River Oaks executive director Claudia Weintraub wrote in an email.
The awards, which haven't been distributed since before the pandemic due to a dearth of data, recognize schools that excel at either closing achievement gaps or reaching "exceptional student performance," Thurmond's office said. State officials use assessment results, attendance numbers, suspension rates and socioeconomic data to determine the winners."These awards are an important reminder of the dedication of Ventura County educators and the vital role that public schools play in our community,” county education Superintendent César Morales said.
State officials alternate annually between awarding elementary schools and secondary schools, with high schools and middle schools set to receive recognition in 2024.
Ventura County's 2023 California Distinguished Schools:
Wildwood Elementary School, Conejo Valley Unified
Sycamore Canyon School, Conejo Valley Unified
Westlake Elementary School, Conejo Valley Unified
Banyan Elementary School, Conejo Valley Unified
Environmental Academy of Research Technology and Earth Sciences, Conejo Valley Unified
Lang Ranch Elementary School, Conejo Valley Unified
Aspen Elementary School, Conejo Valley Unified
Oak Hills Elementary School, Oak Park Unified
Red Oak Elementary School, Oak Park Unified
Meadows Arts and Technology Elementary School (MATES)
Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education (CAPE)
River Oaks Charter Academy, Ventura County Office of Education
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: 12 Ventura County elementary schools receive state plaudits
