Garden Grove Unified unveils inaugural Student Senate; nine secondary schools named California Distinguished Schools

The Garden Grove Unified School District on Monday introduced its inaugural Student Senate — a body composed of one senior representative from each of eight high schools — and recognized nine secondary campuses as 2026 California Distinguished Schools.

Dr. Stephanie Heflin, assistant superintendent for grades 7–12, said the Student Senate served as an important connection between students, school leadership and the district. “This outstanding group is made up of senior representatives from each of our eight high schools and marks our very first year of this important student district leadership body,” Heflin said.

Student senators stood and gave brief introductions, describing campus projects and leadership work. Rancho Alamitos student Christy Getachew serves as the district’s student board representative and joins the board on the dais during meetings. Student comments highlighted initiatives such as intervention time, campus surveys and activities to elevate student voice.

Separately, the board and district leaders announced that nine of the district’s eligible secondary schools received California Distinguished School honors this cycle — the most secondary awards in district history. The district said schools were selected based on performance metrics from the California School Dashboard including academic performance, graduation rates and college and career readiness.

District leaders invited principals and school teams forward for photos and praised teachers, staff and families for the work behind the recognitions. The board noted the awards reflect both individual campus achievements and districtwide instructional strategies aimed at preparing students for postsecondary success.

The board’s recognitions preceded routine business and a series of agenda votes later in the meeting.