LJ and Torrey Pines Elementary Schools Make Distinguished List

A pair of local elementary schools are two of only 11 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District, 40 in the county and 387 across the state to be named California Distinguished Schools. The Department of Education made the announcement March 29 that included La Jolla Elementary and Torrey Pines Elementary schools.

“The schools we are recognizing today demonstrate the incredible commitment of California's teachers, administrators and school employees to provide a world-class education to every student, in spite of the financial hardships facing our state and our schools,” said Tom Torlakson, state superintendent of public instruction. “Their dedication is inspiring, and I applaud and admire their passion and persistence.”   

The 2012 California Distinguished Schools Program identifies and honors schools that demonstrated educational excellence and progress in narrowing achievement gaps, according to the Department of Education. To be invited to apply for the Distinguished School honors, schools must meet a variety of criteria including accountability measures, it reported.

The 43 San Diego-area elementary schools receiving the designation, and grouped by school district, are:

• Alpine, Alpine Union Elementary School District
• Bonsall West, Bonsall Union Elementary School District
• Fuerte, Cajon Valley Union School District
• Buena Vista, Carlsbad Unified School District
• Chula Vista Hills, Eastlake, John J. Montgomery, Lauderbach, Liberty, Otay, Palomar, Valle Lindo and Valley Vista, Chula Vista Elementary School District
• L. R. Green, Escondido Union School District
• Lemon Avenue and Murray Manor, La Mesa-Spring Valley School District
• Clover Flat, Mountain Empire Unified School District
• North Terrace and Palmquist, Oceanside Unified School District
• Chaparral, Los Penasquitos, Monterey Ridge, Morning Creek, Park Village, Westwood and Willow Grove, Poway Unified School District
• Barnett, Ramona City Unified School District
• Benchley-Weinberger, Edward L. Hardy, Holmes, John G. Marvin, Kumeyaay, La Jolla, Robert E. Dingeman, Tierrasanta, Toler, Torrey Pines, and Zeta O. Doyle, San Diego Unified School District
• Joli Ann Leichtag, La Costa Meadows and San Elijo, San Marcos Unified School District
• Skyline, Solana Beach Elementary School District
• Lilac, Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District   

The state alternates between recognizing elementary schools one year and middle and high schools the next.

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–City News Service contributed to this report.