Readers’ Choice Awards 2016 – Education

Best Charter School

Orange County School of the Arts

Anyone who has enjoyed a concert, dance performance or theatre production from this powerhouse of artistic talent will not be surprised that Orange County School of the Arts came in tops for Best Music School. However, they also got the nod as Best Charter School. Some students commute from hours away for the opportunity to learn from the school’s passionate educators. OCSA combines academic excellence with artistic creativity. This 7-12th grade institution offers 15 arts conservatories, for nearly 2,000 students, taught by 200 arts and academic faculty.

www.ocsarts.net | Santa Ana

Best Preschool, Private Elementary/Junior High & Private High School

Fairmont Private Schools

Established in 1953, Fairmont Private Schools boasts 4 nonsectarian campuses located throughout north Orange County. From preschool through high school, Fairmont offers diverse programs for its students with opportunities like robotics, debate, sports, performing arts, advanced math, accelerated reading, computer programming, academic pentathlon, and more. 94% of students who attended Fairmont from preschool through high school were accepted to the top 100 colleges and universities as defined by US News & World Report.

www.fairmontschools.com | Anaheim, Anaheim Hills, North Tustin

Honorable Mention: Private Elementary/Junior High & Private High School

Heritage Oaks

Heritage Oaks got such a strong turnout for the Best Private Elementary/Junior High, that it earned an Honorable Mention for the close race. Located for almost 50 years in Orange County, the Blue Ribbon School serves students in preschool through middle school. Well-rounded students enjoy success in STEM, having just earned two awards at the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair and the Bones Clones Research Award in the Junior Division of the State Science Fair. Several of their bands competed at the World Strides Heritage Festival at Fullerton College and received the Instrumental Sweepstakes Award.

www.heritageoak.org | Yorba Linda

Best Public School

Yorba Linda High School

Not only is this high school highly decorated by educational critics, earning a spot on Newsweek’s 2016 coveted Top 500 High Schools list and a Washington Post nod as one of America’s Most Challenging High Schools (among many other awards), the California Distinguished School has also won awards for its arts program and last year, topped the league in basketball with a 6-0 record. This year adds an MBA (Mustang Business Academy) and Culinary Arts/Hospitality Academy to the unique educational lineup.

www.ylhs.org | Yorba Linda