Three Santa Barbara County Schools Awarded for Exemplary Arts Education

By the Santa Barbara County Office of Education

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has announced that three Santa Barbara County schools have been selected for the 2023 California Exemplary Arts Education Award by the California Department of Education (CDE): 

• Cold Spring School in the Cold Spring School District
• Franklin Elementary School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District
• Los Berros Visual and Performing Arts Academy in the Lompoc Unified School District
   

Awardees will hold the title for three years.

“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,” said Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido. “Imagination, wonder, and creativity are essential in our schools, and arts education provides a way for students to dream, aspire, and achieve.”

The Exemplary Arts Education Award recognizes schools that offer at least three arts disciplines (dance, media arts, music, theatre, and/or visual arts) during the regular school day, while also ensuring that arts instruction is accessible to all student populations. Awarded schools become model arts programs for the California Department of Education (CDE).

A celebration will take place in February 2023 at the California School Recognition Program Ceremony in Anaheim, California.

Read State Superintendent Tony Thurmond’s announcement at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr23/yr23rel06.asp.