Award-Winning Schools

Sonoma County is home to 11 schools that have been recognized as national Blue Ribbon Schools (including two that have earned the award twice) and 82 California Distinguished Schools. Thirty-four of our county’s Distinguished Schools have earned this award more than once. Since 2016, six schools have been named Gold Ribbon Schools through an initiative that temporarily took the place of the California Distinguished School program while a new state assessment and accountability system was developed. All of these award-winning schools are listed below.

Blue Ribbon Schools

Blue Ribbon Schools is a federal program that celebrates public and private schools that are either high performing or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement. Sonoma County's winners are listed below beginning with the most recent awardees.

California Distinguished Schools

The California Distinguished Schools program honors the state's most exemplary and inspiring public schools. In recent years, this annual awards program has focused on schools that have made significant gains in narrowing the achievement gap.

2021
Credo High School | Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District

2020
Liberty Elementary | Liberty School District

2019
Petaluma Accelerated Charter | Petaluma City Schools

2018
Liberty Elementary | Liberty School District
Geyserville Elementary | Geyserville Unified School District

2016*
Strawberry School | Bennett Valley Union
Gravenstein Elementary | Gravenstein Union

2015 *
Casa Grande High School | Petaluma Joint Union High
El Molino High School | West Sonoma County Union High
Hillcrest Middle School | Gravenstein
Santa Rosa High School | Santa Rosa City High

*The Distinguished School program was on hiatus between 2015-2017 while a new state assessment and accountability system was being developed; schools were named California Gold Ribbon Schools instead.

2014
Austin Creek School | Rincon Valley Union
Cinnabar Charter School | Cinnabar

2012
Strawberry School | Bennett Valley Union
Village School | Rincon Valley Union

2011
Healdsburg Junior High School | Healdsburg Unified
Santa Rosa High School | Santa Rosa City Schools

2009
Analy High School | West Sonoma County Union High
El Molino High School | West Sonoma County Union High
Hillcrest Middle School | Gravenstein Union
Maria Carrillo High School | Santa Rosa City Schools
Mark West Charter School | Mark West Union
Piner-Olivet Charter School | Piner-Olivet Union
Technology High School | Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified
Twin Hills Middle School | Twin Hills Union
Windsor Middle School | Windsor Unified

2007
Rincon Valley Charter School | Rincon Valley Union
Rincon Valley Middle School | Santa Rosa City Schools

2005
Hillcrest Middle School | Gravenstein Union
Technology High School | Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified
Windsor High School | Windsor Unified

2003
Altimira Middle School | Sonoma Valley Unified
Mountain Shadows Middle School | Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified

2002
Miwok Valley School | Old Adobe Union
Waldo Rohnert School | Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified
Wilson School | Wilmar Union

2001
El Molino High School | West Sonoma County Union High
Windsor Middle School | Windsor Unified

1999
Analy High School | West Sonoma County Union High
Creekside Middle School | Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified

1998
Bernard Eldredge School | Old Adobe Union
Douglas L. Whited School | Rincon Valley Union
Penngrove School | Petaluma City Schools
Sassarini School | Sonoma Valley Unified

1997
Madrone School | Rincon Valley Union
Old Adobe School | Old Adobe Union
Sheppard Accelerated School | Roseland

1996
Geyserville High School | Geyserville Unified
Herbert Slater Middle School | Santa Rosa City Schools

1994
Altimira Middle School | Sonoma Valley Unified
Analy High School | West Sonoma County Union High
Petaluma Junior High School | Petaluma City Schools
Sonoma Valley High School | Sonoma Valley Unified

1992
Cloverdale High School | Cloverdale Unified
El Molino High School | West Sonoma County Union High
Geyserville High School | Geyserville Unified
Petaluma High School | Petaluma City Schools

1989
El Verano School | Sonoma Valley Unified
Flowery School | Sonoma Valley Unified
Kenwood School | Kenwood
Sequoia School | Rincon Valley Union

1988
El Molino High School | West Sonoma County Union High
Healdsburg High School | Healdsburg Unified
Rincon Valley Middle School | Santa Rosa City Schools

1986
Analy High School | West Sonoma County Union High

Award-Winning Schools

Blue Ribbon Schools

California Distinguished Schools

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