Fullerton School District Named Best School District in North Orange County
(Fullerton, CA) – The new school year may only be just a few weeks in, but Fullerton School District (FSD) is already making the grade as the 2024 Best North Orange County (OC) School District by Parenting OC in its 22nd annual Reader’s Choice Awards program. This is the second consecutive year that FSD has been named the top North OC school district in this program.
Parenting OC, a family/parenting publication that covers stories on current events, local and mainstream news topics, community programs, and more tailored to its Orange County, Calif., readership, has hosted its Readers’ Choice Awards program each year for over two decades. This program is designed to showcase local industry leaders in the categories of Family Fun, Food, Kids Play & Places, Education, Health, Lifestyle & Beauty, Camps, and Classes, as nominated and voted on by the county community.
“It is such an honor to have FSD recognized as the people’s choice of school districts in North OC,” said President Leonel Talavera of the Fullerton School District Board of Trustees.
“This achievement really reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire community—our students, teachers, staff, and families. We will continue to wok together to create environments on all of our campuses where every student feels supported and capable of achieving their dreams.”
Fullerton School District serves over 11,400 students in transitional kindergarten (TK) through eighth grade in the district’s 15 elementary schools, two TK through eighth grade schools, three junior high schools, and a distance learning and home school program. Across the district, students have access to a variety of comprehensive learning opportunities and programs, including a nationally ranked Speech and Debate program for students in grades fourth through eighth across the district; a Dual Language Academy for Spanish and Korean languages; a Performance Academy Sports Program that offers a traditional in-person learning experience with time for advanced athletic training integrated into the school day; and on-campus, enriching before, after, and summer school programs.
Additionally, in the 2023-24 school year, FSD embarked on its first-ever Tiny Home Project, which saw eighth-graders in an advanced wood-working class at Nicolas Junior High School build a tiny home over the course of the school year, which is now home to a FSD family experiencing housing insecurity. The project also pairs the family that is temporarily living in the home with several services to help secure more permanent housing and personal and financial stability. One of the service providers is Pathways of Hope. FSD Superintendent Dr. Bob Pletka will be dancing in Pathways of Hope’s upcoming Look Who’s Dancing Season 9 to help raise money for the services provided to the tiny home families. FSD aims to build a second a tiny home this school year.
FSD is also home to several schools that are in the California Community Schools Partnership Program, which helps provide resources, support, social services, and community engagement opportunities for students and families in need.
The mission of the Fullerton School District is to work collaboratively with the community to provide an innovative, high-quality educational experience for all students in a safe learning environment. FSD’s motto, “Great Schools – Successful Kids,” signifies that all FSD students will be given the tools and instruction to achieve academic excellence, hone interpersonal skills, and develop technological expertise to contribute as productive citizens in a democratic society. To view all of the 2024 Parenting OC Readers’ Choice Award winners, visit www.parentingoc.com, and to learn more about the Fullerton School District’s award-winning schools and programs, call (714) 447-7400 or visit www.fullertonsd.org.
