Quick look: With the federal Blue Ribbon program discontinued, California has named its own 2025 nominees to honor schools for exceptional academic performance and progress in closing achievement gaps. Four Orange County campuses made the list.
Earlier this year, word came down that the long-running National Blue Ribbon Schools program had been discontinued by the U.S. Department of Education.
Nevertheless, California has announced its own list of nominees for 2025, recognizing campuses that demonstrate exceptional academic performance or progress in closing opportunity gaps.
Four Orange County schools were among the 31 nominees statewide:
- Oxford Academy, Anaheim Union High School District
- Troy High School, Fullerton Joint Union High School District
- Orange Lutheran High School, Pacific Southwest District
- Tustin Memorial Academy, Tustin Unified School District
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond congratulated the nominees on Thursday, saying the recognition affirms “the dedication and achievement of educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content.”
Established in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program honored thousands of public and private schools across the country and became one of the most prestigious recognitions in K–12 education. In recent years, the designation was granted to high-performing campuses along with those that demonstrated significant progress in closing longstanding achievement gaps.
But the program was discontinued in August. State officials said the California Blue Ribbon Schools recognition was created as a one-time distinction to honor those schools that would have been eligible for the national award this year — meaning they had already submitted lengthy applications.
Campuses will receive official recognition from the California Department of Education and celebrated at a statewide school recognition event in the spring.
While the federal Blue Ribbon program has ended, the CDE noted that its annual recognitions — such as the California Distinguished Schools program — will continue to spotlight exemplary public and private schools across the state.