Recognized for Excellence

National Blue Ribbon School

In 2009, St. Paul's Lutheran School was awarded by the United States Department of Education in Washington D.C., as a National Blue Ribbon Recipient. Five years of documented test scores above the 90th percentile school wide in math and reading, a balanced curriculum, and successful strategies for all students to learn led to this prestigious award.

U.S. Secretary of Education, John B. King Jr. stated that "National Blue Ribbon Schools are proof that we can prepare every child for college and meaningful careers. In addition, King said that Blue Ribbon schools are on the cutting edge, pioneering innovative educational practices—professional learning communities, project-based learning, social and emotional learning, positive behavior systems—making you shining examples for your communities, your state and the nation."

The National Blue Ribbon School program honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. The award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content. The National Blue Ribbon Schools flag gracing a school's building is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning. National Blue Ribbon Schools are an inspiration and a model for schools still striving for excellence.

Now in its 34th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this coveted award on fewer than 8,500 schools out of the approximate 130,000 schools in the nation. 

St. Paul's is the only Lutheran school in all of Orange County to receive this award and one of only 59 private schools in all of California.

National School of Distinction

In 2019 St. Paul's Lutheran School was one of only six schools to be named a School of Distinction by the National Lutheran School Association in St. Louis, Missouri. The status of a School of Distinction is a tremendous accomplishment. The award demonstrates a school’s commitment to providing a distinctive level of quality Christian education for the children that it serves.