Ten GGUSD Schools Earn Prestigious Award as CA Distinguished Schools

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Ten Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) schools were recognized as 2025 California Distinguished Schools in an announcement by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on March 25.

GGUSD earned the most awards of any district in Orange County, receiving 10 of the 44 California Distinguished Schools in Orange County. While GGUSD schools, serving primarily low-income communities, represent 6.5% of Orange County Schools, the district represents a remarkable 23% of the Distinguished Schools in Orange County. No other district in the state has more California Distinguished Schools except Los Angeles Unified which is fourteen times larger than GGUSD.

The CA Distinguished Schools Award is the state’s top honor for schools that demonstrate exceptional academic outcomes or show great success in closing the achievement gap.

GGUSD’s 2025 California Distinguished schools are Anthony, Barker, Brookhurst, Cook, Eisenhower, Excelsior, Hill, Patton, Peters K-3 and 4-6, and Zeyen elementary schools.

"We are particularly proud to have the most California Distinguished Schools in Orange County, a testament to high quality instructional strategies and the dedication of our staff and students,” said Board of Education President Lan Nguyen. “These top awards add to GGUSD’s reputation as a model of academic excellence with remarkable student achievements.”

GGUSD’s top honors are a testament to proven strategies rooted in the district’s goals of equipping all students with the academic and personal skills for lifelong success.

The California Department of Education (CDE) identifies and awards eligible schools based on performance and progress on state indicators specified on the California School Dashboard, with a focus on demonstrating excellence in growth in academic achievement and ensuring a positive school climate.