This Sacramento-area school is among the best in California, state says. Which one?
A Sacramento-area elementary school is one of the best in California, according to state education officials.
The California Department of Education recently recognized a total of 31 public and private schools across California as Blue Ribbon Schools.
“This prestigious award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that close achievement and opportunity gaps as well schools where students demonstrate especially high levels of academic success,” the state Education Department said in an Oct. 23 news release.
The schools were originally nominated as part of the National Blue Ribbon Schools program in 2025, the release said.
After the U.S. Department of Education eliminated that program, the state of California decided to recognize those schools on its own.
“It’s my pleasure to congratulate these school communities on their hard work to earn recognition as 2025 California Blue Ribbon Schools,” California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said in the release. “I want to ensure that the hard work of students, staff and educators does not go unrecognized.”
Here’s what to know:
What are Blue Ribbon Schools?
Created in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program recognized outstanding schools based on “high academic achievement or success in closing the achievement gap among diverse groups of students,” according to the U.S. Department of Education said in 2024
The program gave out nearly 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.
The Trump administration canceled the national Blue Ribbon Schools program in late August “in the spirit of returning education to the states,” and took down the program’s website, according to previous reporting by Education Week and LAist.
Now California is recognizing campuses across the Golden State for their “overall academic performance or progress in closing opportunity gaps,” state education officials said, based on students’ scores and graduation rates.
“This award affirms the dedication and achievement of educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content.”
California Blue Ribbon School communities will receive official recognition from the California Department of Education and will be formally recognized at the annual California School Recognition Program in the spring of 2026, according to the release.
However, the California Blue Ribbon School recognition program will be awarded only in 2025, the release said.
What makes Sacramento-area school one of California’s best?
Elliott Ranch Elementary School, 10000 East Taron Drive in Elk Grove, made the 2025 list of California Blue Ribbon Schools.
“Elliott Ranch Elementary School is a community of educators, students and parents committed to a high-quality education in a safe, nurturing, and rigorous environment,” the school’s website said.
The Elk Grove elementary school, part of the Elk Grove Unified School District, creates an “environment of high expectations for student achievement,” according to the website.
The school enrolls 548 students, according to the California School Dashboard.
More than 30% of those students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, the dashboard indicated, and 10% speak English as a second language.
Where are Blue Ribbon Schools in California?
Northern California schools recognized as California Blue Ribbon Schools in 2025 included three schools in Fresno County, The Fresno Bee previously reported.
Here’s the full list of California Blue Ribbon recipients:
Alameda
- Bay Farm Elementary School
- Crocker Highlands Elementary School
- Yu Ming Charter School
Contra Costa
- Los Cerros Middle School
Fresno
- Kastner Intermediate School
- Norman Liddell Elementary School
- Liberty Elementary School
Humboldt
- Union Street Charter School
Imperial
- Pine Elementary School
Los Angeles
- Chamlian Armenian School
- Willowbrook Middle School
- Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School
- Lucille J. Smith Elementary School
- Clover Avenue Elementary School
- Third Street Elementary School
- Pantera Elementary School
- Arroyo Seco Junior High School
Orange
- Oxford Academy
- Troy High School
- Lutheran High School - Orange County
- Tustin Memorial Academy
Riverside
- Dorothy McElhinney Middle School
Sacramento
- Elliott Ranch Elementary School in Elk Grove
San Bernardino
- Gus Franklin Jr. Elementary School
- Day Creek Intermediate School
San Diego
- Enrique S. Camarena Elementary School
- Magnolia Science Academy San Diego
- San Diego Global Vision Academy
- College Preparatory Middle School
San Francisco
- Ecole Notre Dame Des Victoires
San Joaquin
- Elkhorn School
