San Bernardino County honors local schools with California Distinguished School and Schools to Watch recognitions
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Summary
San Bernardino County Superintendent Ted Alejandre and county education leaders recognized multiple local schools as 2025 California Distinguished Schools and Schools to Watch, citing progress on state indicators and schoolwide programs such as PBIS, PLCs and student-led initiatives.
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre opened the San Bernardino County Office of Education’s 2025 school recognition ceremony, where county education leaders announced California Distinguished School and Schools to Watch honors for a number of local elementary and middle schools.
Tracy Chambers, assistant superintendent of education support services, said the California Distinguished School awards “honor elementary schools for their outstanding performance and progress on state indicators, including closing the achievement gap and exceptional student performance based on the 2024 dashboard.” The ceremony also recognized middle-grade “Schools to Watch,” described by presenters as schools that are academically engaging, developmentally responsive, socially equitable and show collaborative leadership.
At the ceremony, Marcos Rees served as master of ceremonies and introduced representatives from districts across San Bernardino County who accepted the recognitions on behalf of their schools. Principal Curtis Quanstrom of Jasper Elementary School (Alta Loma Elementary School District) said the award reflects “the dedication, heart, and collaborative spirit that defines our whole school community.” Principal Monica Hyland of Country Springs Elementary School (Chino Valley Unified School District) noted Country Springs’ PBIS Platinum recognition and its status as a PLC model school while thanking district leaders for support.
Other honored schools represented during the ceremony included Victoria Groves Elementary (Alta Loma Elementary School District); Lyle S. Briggs Fundamental School, Butterfield Ranch Elementary, Country Springs Elementary, Eagle Canyon Elementary (Chino Valley Unified); David W. Long Elementary (Etiwanda School District); Beach Avenue Elementary, Date Elementary, Shadow Hills Elementary (Fontana Unified); La Verne Elementary Preparatory Academy (Hesperia Unified, CEO Deborah Tarver); Friendly Hills Elementary (Morongo Unified); Buena Vista Arts Integrated Magnet School (Ontario-Montclair USD); Highland Grove and Kimberly Elementary (Redlands Unified); Samuel W. Simpson Elementary (Rialto Unified); Ramona Alessandro and Palm Avenue Elementary (San Bernardino City Unified); Heritage School (Snowline Joint Unified); Sixth Street Prep (Victor Elementary SD); Wildwood Elementary (Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified); and a set of middle schools recognized as Schools to Watch, including George Visual and Performing Arts Magnet Middle School (Adelanto Elementary SD) and several San Bernardino City Unified middle schools.
Presenters and school leaders emphasized programs and practices tied to the recognitions: implementation of tiered systems of supports and targeted interventions (Jasper Elementary), multi-tiered PBIS and PLC structures (Country Springs, Briggs), student leadership and extracurricular opportunities (AeroView Middle School, Cesar E. Chavez Middle School, Pacuma K–8), and schoolwide arts or engineering emphases at select sites (Buena Vista Arts Integrated Magnet School; Rodriguez Prep Academy School of Engineering and Design). Several principals highlighted family engagement strategies, goal-setting practices, and use of data to guide instruction as drivers of progress.
The ceremony served as a public acknowledgment of the countywide and district-level work that district leaders and school staffs said underpins the awards. As Marcos Rees closed the event, county officials and school representatives congratulated honorees and encouraged continued focus on the programs and practices cited during the recognitions.