Award Winning Schools
A Record of Recognized Excellence
Recognition doesn't happen by accident. For decades, Westminster School District schools have earned honors at the local, state, and national level — not once, but consistently, across campuses and programs. These awards reflect what our families experience every day: teachers that go further, students who rise to the challenge, and communities that invest in what matters.
Award-Winning School District
70+
School Awards
15+
Award Categories
17
Recognized Schools
20+
Years of Recognition
Current National and State Highlights
California Distinguished Schools
Honoring academic excellence, performance standard execution, and closing achievement gaps.
Stacey Middle School (2026, 2024, 2021)
Johnson Middle School (2026)
California Schools to Watch
National tier status certifying middle school academic excellence, responsiveness, and social equity.
Johnson, Stacey, and Warner Middle
National STEM Cybersecurity
13th-place finish in the United States within the demanding National CyberPatriot Competition framework.
Warner Middle School
California PBIS Platinum
The highest state level attainable for campus safety culture, intervention, and community environments.
Stacey and Warner Middle Schools
District-Wide and Organizational Leadership
| Award / Organization | Year(s) | Why It Matters / Recipients |
|---|---|---|
| ERP Honor Roll School District |
2024–25, 2020 | Recognized as 1 of only 28 districts statewide for clear, data-proven success in closing systemic achievement gaps. |
| California Pivotal Practice (CDE) |
2021–22 | Commends innovative leadership interventions through the distance learning pivot. Campus honors include Anderson, Clegg, DeMille, Eastwood, Fryberger, Meairs, Schmitt, Schroeder, Sequoia, Webber, Willmore, Johnson, and Stacey Middle. |
| CSBA Golden Bell Award |
2023–24, 2020–21, 2017-18, 2015–16 | Prestigious state distinction for innovative and sustainable academic programming. Awarded to Sequoia Academy (2023-24), Willmore Academy (2020-21), DeMille Language Academy and WSD (2017-18 for Vietnamese DLI), and Westminster School District (2015-16). |
| CABE Seal of Excellence |
2025–26, 2022–23 | World-class dual-language pathway design. Conferred to Warner Middle School (2025-26), DeMille Elementary (2022-23), and Willmore Academy (2022-23). |
| CABE Board Legacy Award |
2025 | Awarded to the District for visionary, pioneering implementation of California’s foundational Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion (DLI) pathway. |
White House Initiative and District of Distinction |
2015–16, 2014–15 | National and regional acknowledgments identifying WSD as an exemplary educational system for student equity, programmatic quality, and institutional models. |
ACSA Region 17 Leadership Honors
| Year | Award Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Personnel/HR Administrator of the Year | Rich Montgomery |
| 2025 | Middle Grades Principal of the Year | Rick Nichols |
| 2025 | Special Education Administrator of the Year | Jennifer Solano |
| 2024 | Superintendent of the Year | Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D. |
| 2024 | Curriculum and Instruction Administrator | Michelle Watkins |
PBIS: Safety and Campus Culture Metrics
Historical Context: California initialized the multi-tiered Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) structure in 2016. Campus progress charts follow a strict multi-year merit format.
| School Campus | Top Tier | Chronological State PBIS History |
|---|---|---|
| Stacey Middle School | Platinum | 2025-26 (Platinum), 2024-25 (Platinum), 2023-24 (Platinum), 2015-16 (Platinum) |
| Warner Middle School | Platinum | 2025-26 (Platinum), 2024-25 (Gold), 2017-18 (Silver), 2015-16 (Silver) |
| Anderson Elementary | Gold | 2024-25 (Gold), 2017-18 (Silver), 2016-17 (Gold), 2015-16 (Bronze) |
| Clegg Elementary | Gold | 2024-25 (Gold), 2018-19 (Silver), 2015-16 (Bronze) |
| Finley Elementary | Gold | 2024-25 (Gold), 2015-16 (Silver) |
| Fryberger Elementary | Gold | 2024-25 (Gold), 2018-19 (Gold), 2016-17 (Silver), 2015-16 (Bronze) |
| Hayden Elementary | Gold | 2024-25 (Gold), 2015-16 (Bronze) |
| Meairs Elementary | Gold | 2024-25 (Gold), 2017-18 (Gold), 2016-17 (Gold), 2015-16 (Gold) |
| Schmitt Elementary | Gold | 2024-25 (Gold), 2017-18 (Silver), 2016-17 (Gold), 2015-16 (Silver) |
| Schroeder Elementary | Gold | 2024-25 (Gold), 2018-19 (Silver), 2017-18 (Silver), 2016-17 (Gold), 2015-16 (Bronze) |
| Sequoia Academy | Gold | 2024-25 (Gold), 2018-19 (Silver), 2015-16 (Silver) |
| Webber Elementary | Gold | 2024-25 (Gold), 2015-16 (Bronze) |
| Willmore Academy | Gold | 2024-25 (Gold), 2017-18 (Silver), 2016-17 (Silver), 2015-16 (Bronze) |
| Johnson Middle School | Silver | 2024-25 (Silver), 2015-16 (Silver) |
| DeMille Elementary | Silver | 2024-25 (Silver), 2015-16 (Bronze) |
| Eastwood Elementary | Bronze | 2024-25 (Bronze), 2015-16 (Bronze) |
California Distinguished Schools: Historical Context
| Honored Year | Recognized Westminster Campuses |
|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Stacey Middle School, Johnson Middle School |
| 2023–24 | Stacey Middle School |
| 2022–23 | Schroeder Elementary School |
| 2021–22 | Stacey Middle School |
| 2019–20 | Hayden Elementary School |
| 2018–19 | Sequoia Academy |
| 2013–14 | Warner Middle School |
| 2012–13 | Clegg Elementary, DeMille Elementary, Schroeder Elementary |
| 2009–10 | Eastwood Elementary |
| 2007–08 | Anderson Elementary |
| 2006 | DeMille Elementary, Eastwood Elementary, Finley Elementary, Schroeder Elementary |
| 2003 | Anderson Elementary, Fryberger Elementary, Hayden Elementary, Meairs Elementary, Schmitt Elementary, Willmore Academy |
Specialized Academic and Environmental Honors
| Honors / Distinctions | Recipients / Milestone Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Business & Academic Honor Roll |
District-Wide / Individual Campuses: WSD District, Anderson, Clegg, DeMille, Finley, Fryberger, Hayden, Meairs, Schmitt, Schroeder, Sequoia, Webber, Willmore, Stacey Middle (2023-24), and Warner Middle. • CA Bus. Ed. Excellence Honor Roll: Clegg (2012-13), Eastwood (2012-13), Hayden (2012-13), Schroeder (2012-13), Johnson Middle (2012-13), Warner Middle (2012-13). |
| Gold Ribbon & Title I Academic Achievement |
2024–25 Updates: Finley Elementary earned repeating consecutive Tier honors. Sequoia Academy holds historical Title I Achievements tracking back to 2010-11. 2016–17 Honorees: Johnson Middle School. 2015–16 Honorees: Finley, Fryberger, Hayden, Meairs, Schmitt, Schroeder, Sequoia, Willmore, and Stacey Middle (2016-17). |
| Green Ribbon / Green Leadership Awards |
Fryberger Elementary (2020–21): Awarded the prestigious state Green Achiever and federal Green Ribbon title (1 of only 5 distributed nationally) for deep ecosystem upgrades and environmental instruction. Johnson Middle School (2014–15): Honored with the historic California Green Leadership Award. |
AVID Schoolwide Site Demonstration |
Stacey Middle School: Consecutively certified for three continuous cycles spanning 2023–24, 2022–23, and 2021–22 for exceptional, college-ready infrastructure design. |
| California Exemplary Arts Award |
Sequoia Academy (2018–19): Awarded alongside their Distinguished School rank for elite structural investments in student artistic literacy. |
| U.S. News & World Report |
Every standalone campus throughout the Westminster School District footprint is officially credentialed within the comprehensive national "Best Schools" operational index. |