REGION — Encinitas and Carlsbad are known throughout North County for their, well, politically and civically engaged citizenry.
In Encinitas, residents have passed voter-rights land use initiatives and rejected a city housing element. In Carlsbad, residents successfully beat a big-money initiative to turn the strawberry fields into a shopping mall.
So it should come as no surprise that this civic-minded spirit would trickle down to its schools.
In the case of two schools in particular — Flora Vista in New Encinitas, and El Camino Creek in South Carlsbad, the civic learning has received high praise.
Both schools received Civic Learning Awards of Distinction from the Chief Justice of California and the State Superintendent of Instruction. The award program annually honors a select few schools to celebrate their efforts to engage students in civic learning, and to identify models that can be replicated in other schools.
The award of distinction is the second highest honor a school can receive. ECC and Flora Vista were the only elementary schools statewide honored this year.
Schools receive a visit from an appellate court justice and a plaque.
