San Diego County Elementary Schools Recognized as 2025 California Distinguished Schools
San Diego County Elementary Schools Recognized as 2025 California Distinguished Schools
A dozen San Diego County elementary schools have been selected for the prestigious 2025 California Distinguished Schools Program, the state’s recognition program that recognizes two categories of exceptional schools: those closing the achievement gap and those demonstrating exceptional student performance. The local campuses are among only 336 in the state to earn this recognition.
Since its inception in 1985, the California Distinguished Schools Award remains one of the state’s most important ways to celebrate exceptional schools, districts, teachers, and classified employees for their innovation, talent, and success in supporting students.
The exceptional elementary schools recognized this year represent the persistence and promise of California’s students, educators, and schools. To select California Distinguished Schools, the California Department of Education uses multiple measures to identify eligible schools based on their performance on the state indicators as specified on the 2024 California School Dashboard.
The 2025 California Distinguished Schools in San Diego County are:
- The Heights Charter (Dehesa School District)
- Heritage K-8 Charter, (Escondido Union School District)
- La Paloma Elementary (Fallbrook Union Elementary School District)
- Live Oak Elementary (Fallbrook Union Elementary School District)
- Riverview Elementary (Lakeside Union School District)
- Dual Language Immersion North County (San Diego County Office of Education)
- JCS - Manzanita (San Diego County Office of Education)
- Jonas Salk Elementary (San Diego Unified School District)
- Benchley/Weinberger Elementary (San Diego Unified School District)
- Doyle Elementary (San Diego Unified School District)
- Carmel Creek Elementary (Solana Beach School District)
- Solana Pacific Elementary (Solana Beach School District)
The California Distinguished Schools Program is an annual school recognition program of the California Department of Education. Elementary schools and middle and high schools are recognized in alternate years; therefore, awardees hold the title for two years. See the San Diego County honorees for 2024.
For more information, visit the California Distinguished Schools Program webpage.
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