Four Santa Barbara Schools Win State Honor for Achievement

Two Santa Barbara schools are celebrating a major win after the state recognized them for closing achievement gaps and helping all students succeed.

Dos Pueblos High School and La Colina Junior High School earned California's Distinguished Schools honor, the only South Coast campuses to receive the recognition. The state selected just 408 schools out of roughly 2,500 middle and high schools across California.

La Colina and Dos Pueblos both received the Achievement Gap Closer designation, which recognizes schools helping historically underserved students catch up while keeping overall performance strong. Dos Pueblos also earned Beacon of Opportunity status for serving its community exceptionally well.

The numbers tell the story. At La Colina, nearly 69 percent of students met or exceeded standards in English, and 61 percent hit the mark in math. At Dos Pueblos, those figures reached 69 percent in English and 46 percent in math, both well above district averages.

Two other county schools also made the list. Jonata Middle School in Buellton and Santa Ynez Valley Union High School both posted strong results, with more than half their students meeting English standards.

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond praised the achievement. "An excellent public education has the power to transform lives," he said. "I commend the educators and school communities who have dedicated themselves to producing exemplary results."

The Ripple Effect

These awards shine a spotlight on something bigger than test scores. They show what happens when entire school communities commit to reaching every student, not just some.

The recognition comes as Santa Barbara schools continue recovering from pandemic learning loss. District wide, about 52 percent of students now meet English standards and 41 percent meet math standards, showing steady progress.

Schools didn't apply for this honor. Instead, the California Department of Education reviewed every eligible campus using data from the 2025 California School Dashboard, looking at test scores, graduation rates, and college readiness. Schools also had to meet benchmarks like 95 percent test participation and positive school climate indicators.

Santa Barbara Unified Superintendent Dr. Hilda Maldonado called the recognition well deserved. "To be the only South Coast schools and among just four in the entire county speaks volumes about the culture of excellence," she said.

All four schools will celebrate at a statewide ceremony on April 24 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. For now, these educators are proving that with the right support and high expectations, achievement gaps don't have to be permanent.