Garden Grove Unified Celebrates Record Nine California Distinguished Schools

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) is celebrating a historic achievement as nine of its secondary schools have been named 2026 California Distinguished Schools, the state’s top honor recognizing exceptional student achievement and success in closing opportunity gaps. This marks the most secondary schools to receive the distinction in a single year in district history and more than any other district in Orange County.

GGUSD schools earning the prestigious recognition are Bell, Irvine, McGarvin, and Ralston intermediate schools and Bolsa Grande, Los Amigos, La Quinta, Pacifica, and Santiago high schools.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced that 408 middle and high schools statewide were selected for the California Distinguished Schools Program, with GGUSD having the third highest number of Distinguished Schools across California.

“Year after year, GGUSD continues to shine as a leader in superior student outcomes, showing what is possible when dedicated educators and staff, hardworking students, and supportive families come together with a shared commitment to excellence,” said Board of Education President Bob Harden. “Having nine schools recognized as California Distinguished Schools is an incredible accomplishment and a powerful reflection of the outstanding work happening in our classrooms every day.”

The California Distinguished School awards recognize schools in three categories including Exemplary High Achievers, Achievement Gap Closers and Beacons of Opportunities. The award recognizes schools that demonstrate excellence in academic achievement, academic progress of historically underserved students, and multiple outcomes at very high performance levels. Schools are selected using performance data from the California School Dashboard, which evaluates academic performance, graduation rates, college and career readiness, and other key indicators.

The California Department of Education selects Distinguished Schools in alternating years, recognizing elementary schools in one cycle and middle and high schools in the next. Ten GGUSD elementary schools were named 2025 California Distinguished Schools, the most of any district in California except Los Angeles Unified which is fourteen times larger in size.

The 2026 honorees will be recognized during an awards ceremony on April 24, 2026, at the Disneyland Hotel.