19 California schools win state’s Exemplary Arts Education Award; winners show lessons for local districts on equity and funding
On March 23, 2026, California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond named 19 schools as recipients of the California Exemplary Arts Education Award, honoring programs that provide equitable, high-quality arts instruction during the regular school day across diverse districts.
Key takeaways
- The award’s standards: Winners must offer instruction in at least three arts disciplines during the regular school day and document access for special populations — a key step toward equitable arts instruction. Details on award standards
- Range of schools: The 19 honorees include elementary, middle and high schools from urban, suburban and rural districts — some Title I, some well-resourced — showing varied paths to strong arts programs. Award announcement
- Honors and timing: Awardees will be celebrated at the California School Recognition Program Ceremony in Anaheim on April 24, 2026. Ceremony info
- Local concentrations: Los Angeles County accounted for nine winners, reflecting the county’s size and active arts programming. LACOE coverage
What the awards show
The California Exemplary Arts Education Award spotlights how schools sustain broad arts offerings despite statewide budget pressures and shifting priorities. To qualify, schools must offer at least three arts disciplines — dance, media arts, music, theatre and visual arts — during the regular school day and document how special populations have equal opportunities to participate. EdCal coverage and the California Department of Education release outline these expectations.
“In a time when budget lines and staffing are tight, these schools demonstrate it is possible to sustain strong arts pathways for every student,” Tony Thurmond said in the state news release. (CDE news release)
Who made the list
The 2026 California Exemplary Arts Education Award winners, listed below as provided by the California Department of Education and related announcements, span the state and grade levels.
- Claremont High School — Claremont Unified School District
- Delano High School — Delano Joint Union High School District
- Gilroy High School — Gilroy Unified School District
- Crescenta Valley High School — Glendale Unified School District
- Mark Keppel Elementary School — Glendale Unified School District
- Prairie Vista Middle School — Hawthorne School District
- Hesperia High School — Hesperia Unified School District
- ICEF View Park Preparatory High School — Los Angeles Unified School District (ICEF Public Schools)
- Maywood Center for Enriched Studies — Los Angeles Unified School District
- Mira Costa High School — Manhattan Beach Unified School District
- Palm Middle School — Moreno Valley Unified School District
- Echo Valley Elementary School — North Monterey County Unified School District
- Novato High School — Novato Unified School District
- Orange County School of the Arts — Orange County Board of Education
- C. K. McClatchy High School — Sacramento City Unified School District
- Trabuco Hills High School — Saddleback Valley Unified School District
- Gabrielino High School — San Gabriel Unified School District
- Jefferson Middle School — San Gabriel Unified School District
- San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts — San Diego Unified School District
Local leaders and district context
The awards highlight principals and superintendents who prioritized arts staffing, materials and sustained professional learning. The California Department of Education materials list leaders connected to several awardees, including Timothy Farson at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and Vince Lopez at Gabrielino High School. District leaders named in related materials include Dr. Fabiola Bagula of San Diego Unified and Alberto Carvalho of Los Angeles Unified. Awardee details
Investigative lens: what this says about funding and equity
The winners offer a window into how California schools balance arts instruction with academic and budgetary demands. The mix of Title I schools and affluent suburban schools among the honorees raises questions about which policies and local practices most reliably produce equitable arts education and how those practices can be scaled statewide. Required criteria — such as offering three arts disciplines during the regular school day and documenting access for special populations — shift emphasis from after-school extras to core curriculum, increasing the likelihood that English learners, students with disabilities and students who cannot afford fees can participate. EdCal analysis and the CDE release underscore these points.
Sustaining programs: Maintaining arts pathways requires funding for qualified teachers, continuing professional learning and materials. Some honorees benefited from strong district or community financial support; others show success in Title I contexts. Lessons for districts include targeted budgeting, partnerships with arts organizations, and prioritized hiring and training to expand equitable arts access. Program examples
How winners measure access
Evaluation emphasized curriculum and assessment for arts learning, professional learning for staff, and culturally responsive instruction for diverse student populations. Successful programs must show not only that classes exist, but that they have learning goals and ways to track student progress. CDE criteria and evaluation describe those measurement expectations.
Implications for San Luis Obispo
- Economic and workforce ties: Strong K–12 arts programs can cultivate skills for the creative industries, tourism and hospitality — important to San Luis Obispo’s local economy. The state awards show how visible arts programs become community assets. State announcement
- Equity in access: SLO districts should track whether English learners, special education and low-income students have the same access to arts classes during the regular school day as other students; embedding arts into the schedule increases equity. Award guidance
- Funding and partnerships: The mix of Title I and well-funded schools among winners suggests shared-use facilities, grant writing, partnerships with Cal Poly and local arts organizations, and targeted budgeting can expand access.
- Curriculum and assessment: Adopt simple arts learning standards, regular teacher training and basic assessment tools to document progress and justify investment to boards and voters. Assessment guidance
- Community engagement: Public celebration — festivals, showcases and recognition like the California Exemplary Arts Education Award — builds community support and helps advocate for stable arts funding. Examples and coverage
Sources and further reading
- California Department of Education news release
- List of awardees and program details (CDE)
- EdCal story on the 19 schools
- Los Angeles County Office of Education coverage
Article compiled from California Department of Education materials and media coverage; all original facts, information and URLs are preserved above.
