CA Green Ribbon Schools to be celebrated
March 23, 2026
This year, 26 schools, 12 school districts, and one county office of education have been honored with 2026 California Green Ribbon Schools awards. Among these recipients, five have earned the highest distinction, “Green Achiever.” These honorees are recognized for their outstanding efforts in resource conservation, health promotion, and environmental literacy.
“Our California Green Ribbon Schools reflect the very best of what is possible when innovation, equity, and environmental stewardship come together,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, in a Feb. 12 news release announcing the honorees. “I congratulate this year’s honorees for their leadership in creating healthy, sustainable learning environments — particularly in communities that have been historically underserved—and for empowering students with the knowledge and skills to address climate resiliency and critical local challenges.”
The 2026 California Green Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony will be held April 9 in San Diego. For more information on the Green Ribbon Schools Award Program, visit www.cde.ca.gov/ls/fa/greenribbonprog.asp.
California’s 2026 CA-GRS Green Achiever honorees are described below:
Captain Leland F. Norton Elementary, San Bernardino City Unified School District
Captain Leland F. Norton Elementary School in San Bernardino exemplifies excellence in environmental stewardship and sustainability in a community facing significant socioeconomic and environmental challenges. The school’s success is rooted in extensive collaboration among staff, students, families, and community partners, including the district’s Facilities Planning and Development Department and sustainability partner Cenergistic, as well as participation in programs such as the Whole-Earth Program. Through project-based learning, energy conservation initiatives, recycling, water-saving practices, and wellness-focused programs, Norton ES instills a culture of responsibility, health, and environmental awareness that extends beyond the classroom.
Joaquin Moraga Intermediate, Moraga School District
Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School exemplifies environmental leadership and sustainability in action. Serving a diverse student body in the Moraga–Walnut Creek Watersheds, JMIS integrates sustainability across academics, operations, and community engagement and distinguishes itself through rigorous environmental literacy standards; Collaborative for High Performance Schools/Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (CHPS/LEED)-aligned facilities; and innovative programs such as Jan Term capstone projects that connect STEM, civic action, and sustainability. The school fosters deep community collaboration by leveraging multi-cross-sector groups, professional development partnerships, and local agencies to provide hands-on, place-based learning — from creek restorations to biodiversity monitoring and waste-reduction campaigns — while engaging students as active environmental leaders.
National School District, San Diego County
National School District, serving 90 percent low-income, English Learner, foster, or homeless students and 95 percent Latinx/Filipino students, exemplifies how high-impact sustainability can thrive in high-need communities. Over the past decade, the district has achieved measurable gains — including over 1 million gallons of annual water savings; 1,000-plus tons of waste diverted; a 13 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions; and improved energy efficiency — through comprehensive operational upgrades, student-led initiatives, and Sustainable Development Goals-aligned projects. NSD leverages robust partnerships with organizations such as Rady Children’s Hospital, Olivewood Gardens, Ocean Connectors, and Tree San Diego and engages families and the community to embed sustainability into daily life.
Ravenswood City School District, San Mateo County
Ravenswood City School District demonstrates that sustainability leadership is driven by equity and vision, not wealth. Serving a community where 90 percent of students are low income and 56 percent are English Learners, the district uses sustainability as a tool for health, resilience, and opportunity. Through a decade-long Facilities Master Plan and more than $250 million in modernization investments, Ravenswood has electrified campuses, expanded solar energy, reduced water use, planted more than 1,300 trees, improved air quality, and created green schoolyards and outdoor learning spaces that integrate environmental literacy into daily instruction.
Lycée Français de San Francisco (Private), San Francisco County
Lycée Français de San Francisco exemplifies a deeply rooted, mission-driven commitment to environmental sustainability, whole-child well-being, and community partnership across its three diverse campuses. Distinguished not by wealth but by decades of intentional practice, the Lycée has integrated sustainability into its identity, curriculum, and operations since the 1960s by blending French educational values with Northern California’s rich ecosystems. From preschool through grade 12, students engage in hands-on learning experiences that explore ecology; science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM); biodiversity; wellness; and climate citizenship across urban, coastal, and bayside settings. Students learn to view sustainability as both a scientific and civic responsibility.
Leadership magazine
Read “Leading your school toward California Green Ribbon recognition” by Dr. Andrea Somoza-Norton and George Garcia in the March/April issue at leadership.acsa.org.
2026 California Green Ribbon School Awardees
Public Schools
Captain Leland F. Norton Elementary, San Bernardino City Unified (Green Achiever)
Joaquin Moraga Intermediate, Moraga School District (Green Achiever)
American High School, Fremont Unified, (Gold)
Community Roots Academy, Capistrano Unified (Gold)
Cypress High School, Anaheim Union High School District (Gold)
Laguna Beach High, Laguna Beach Unified School District (Gold)
Mary Bragg Elementary, ABC Unified School District (Gold)
Marylin Avenue STEAM Academy, Livermore Valley Joint Unified (Gold)
Neil Cummins Elementary, Larkspur-Corte Madera School District (Gold)
Northwood High School, Irvine Unified School District (Gold)
Oxnard High School, Oxnard Union High, Ventura County (Gold)
Sandburg Middle School, Glendora Unified School District (Gold)
Sherman Oaks Charter, Los Angeles Unified (Gold)
South Junior High, Anaheim Union High (Gold)
Steven Millard Elementary, Fremont Unified School District (Gold)
The Cove School, Larkspur Corte Madera School District (Gold)
Charlotte N. Werner Elementary, Rialto Unified (Silver)
E. M. Grimmer Elementary, Fremont Unified School District (Silver)
Maple Elementary, Fullerton Elementary School District (Silver)
Mission San Jose Elementary, Fremont Unified (Silver)
Oliveira Elementary, Fremont Unified, (Silver)
Bridges Charter School, Ventura County Office of Education (Bronze)
Cabrillo Elementary, Fremont Unified School District (Bronze)
Green Hills Elementary, Millbrae Elementary School District (Bronze)
Theodore Roosevelt Elementary, Burbank Unified (Bronze)
Tierra del Sol Middle School, Lakeside Union Elementary School District (Bronze)
Local Educational Agencies
National School District (Green Achiever)
Ravenswood City School District (Green Achiever)
Fremont Unified School District (Gold)
Fremont Union High School District (Gold)
San Joaquin County Office of Education (Gold)
Winters Joint Unified School District (Gold)
Irvine Unified School District (Silver)
Las Virgenes Schools (Silver)
Moorpark Unified School District (Silver)
Sacramento City Unified School District (Silver)
Menlo Park City Elementary School District (Bronze)
Rowland Unified School District (Bronze)
San Benito Union High School District (Bronze)
Private Schools
Lycée Français de San Francisco (Green Achiever)
Montessori de Terra Linda (Gold)
Waldorf School Orange County (Gold)
School of the Madeleine (Silver)