In late January, Tony Thurmond, state superintendent of public instruction, announced that three Santa Barbara County schools were selected by the California Department of Education (CDE) to receive the 2023 California Exemplary Arts Education Award.
The three awardees are Los Berros Visual and Performing Arts Academy (Lompoc Unified School District), Cold Spring School (Cold Spring School District), and Franklin Elementary School (Santa Barbara Unified School District). Each awardee will hold the title for three years, according to the Santa Barbara County Education Office.
“We are grateful to these schools for demonstrating a strong commitment to quality arts education for all students, and for promoting social-emotional well-being and increased academic performance through arts education,” Susan Salcido (pictured), Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, said in press materials. “Imagination, wonder, and creativity are essential in our schools, and arts education provides a way for students to dream, aspire, and achieve.”
According to press materials, for a school to be eligible for the Exemplary Arts Education Award, the school must offer at least three arts disciplines during the regular school day and ensure that arts instruction is accessible to all student populations. For more info, visit cde.ca.gov.
This article appears in Feb 9-16, 2023.