A banner year for Carlsbad Unified School District




We are proud of our 900 high school graduates in June. Well-prepared for their futures, they now move on to colleges, universities, trade schools, and certificate programs; to serve in the military; and to pursue their careers. We congratulate them all. It’s been a banner year for Carlsbad Unified.

We’re proud to celebrate the following achievements and awards across the district: The California Department of Education (CDE) has recognized CUSD’s strong academic performance, as our students’ performance significantly outpaces that of other students across the state. Supported by new Proposition 28 funds for music and the arts, and by the Carlsbad Educational Foundation, we now offer a comprehensive music program and a fulltime music teacher at every CUSD elementary school. “No Place for Hate” — All Carlsbad Unified schools have earned this designation by building inclusive and safe communities where respect is the goal. Our anti-bullying strategy aims to help everyone in our schools understand bias and combat its effects.

CDE recognized Aviara Oaks Middle School (AOMS) as a 2024 California Distinguished School for closing the achievement gap and demonstrating exceptional student performance. AOMS was also named a Recognized 2024 ASCA Model Program by the American School Counselor Association for delivering an exemplary school counseling program. And Calavera Hills Middle School was named a California School to Watch for 2024 by California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond. With solid community support, our Measure HH construction projects continue to support educational excellence into the future. We broke ground on campus-wide modernization projects at Aviara Oaks Elementary School and Valley Middle School; we are installing STEAM Labs (for science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math) at eight of our nine elementary schools; and we completed construction projects at Jefferson Elementary, including our first Culinary Arts Lab for elementary students. Jefferson has also been recognized by the US Department of Education as a Green Ribbon School for environmental and sustainability education.



As always, it is our people who shine. Peter Manzi, Band Director at Carlsbad High School, was named one of five San Diego County Teachers of the Year for 2024-25. Miranda Shilling, counselor at Pacific Rim Elementary, was recognized by the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) with this year’s No Place for Hate Leader award. Her Lighthouse Award honors champions who support a sense of belonging and lead inclusion initiatives for educational equity across the county. The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, of which CUSD has been a member for 40 years, recently awarded 2024 CBAD Awards to Jo Ellen Restivo, Elementary School Teacher of the Year; Andie Tanner, High School Teacher of the Year; and Jorge Espinoza, School Administrator of the Year. Students from Magnolia Elementary, Valley Middle, Carlsbad High, Carlsbad Village Academy, and Carlsbad Seaside Academy were finalists at the 23rd annual iVIE Student Awards and Film Festival.

The ASB at Sage Creek High School was honored with the 2024 Outstanding Leadership Program Award from the California Association of Student Leaders for developing student leaders who are ethical, responsible, and servant-minded architects of change. Sage Creek High School’s multimedia journalism program, The Sage, was rated as fifth in the nation for journalism programs through the School Newspapers Online Distinguished Site Program for 2023-24. Carlsbad High School’s broadcasting program, CHSTV, won the 2023 Pacemaker Award for Broadcast News Program, considered the “Pulitzer Prize of Student Journalism,” for the fifth year in a row. The CUSD broadcasting programs at Carlsbad High, Sage Creek High, Aviara Oaks Middle, Calavera Hills Middle, and Valley Middle combined for a total of 20 awards at the national STN competition. CHSTV won its 18th Broadcast Excellence Award for a Daily Live News Show, and Carlsbad Currents won its first Outstanding Achievement Award for a High School News Magazine.

The CHS Speech and Debate team had a number of finalists at State, and ten students advanced to Nationals this year. The North Coastal Consortium for Special Education recognized teachers Charity Fisher, Sarah Shea, principal Kimberly Fuentes, the Hope Elementary School Autism Program, students at Carlsbad High School and Kelly Elementary, and parent Tricia Benton for their excellence in supporting students with disabilities.

The Association of California School Administrators, Region 18, recognized Kasia Obrzut as the 2024 Curriculum and Instruction Administrator of the Year. And the California School Boards Association recognized Anne Garcia as the Executive Assistant of the Year in the San Diego Region. The PTAs and PTSAs affiliated with the Carlsbad Unified Council of Parent-Teacher Associations cumulatively raised more than $1.1 million in donations to directly support our schools this year, and volunteered more than 65,000 hours of service.

For the first time in many years, every CUSD school has a currently active PTA or PTSA. The Carlsbad Educational Foundation (CEF) approved 39 grants and committed more than $1.5 million to support music, innovation, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) across all schools and every grade level, supplementing important programs and supporting students an and supporting students and staff at every one of our schools. Parent and community support in Carlsbad is incredible!