Two Clovis Unified campuses earn coveted California Blue Ribbon Schools distinction
Two Clovis Unified campuses are among the prestigious group of 31 California Blue Ribbon Schools recognized by the state Department of Education.
Liberty Elementary and Kastner Intermediate School in Clovis Unified, along with Central Unified’s Norman Liddell Elementary, earned the coveted Blue Ribbon Schools distinction this year.
California is still recognizing the Blue Ribbon Schools initiative celebrating outstanding school achievement after the U.S. Department of Education nixed its National Blue Ribbon Schools awards. The national awards, which started in 1982, was cancelled in late August.
The 31 California Blue Ribbon Schools had been nominated to be recognized at the national level.
Clovis Unified Superintendent Corrine Folmer said the two schools’ recognition is an “incredible affirmation of the care, intentionality and innovation of these educational teams to inspire our students to be their best.”
Liberty Elementary currently serves 618 pupils, and the school’s standardized test scores exceed the high bar set by the district’s overall scores. Liberty Elementary’s math scores are more than 23 percentage points above Clovis Unified’s average.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the entire school staff for their unwavering commitment to student achievement,” said George Petersen, principal of Liberty Elementary. “Our staff’s hard work, instructional expertise, and dedication to excellence have made a measurable impact on student growth. Their passion for teaching and belief in every student’s potential continues to drive our success.”
Kastner Intermediate School has an enrollment of 1,155 students from seven elementary schools. Kastner Intermediate’s most recent standardized scores for English language arts and science are on par with Clovis Unified’s average. Its math scores are slightly below district average, which is still more than 10 percentage points above the state average.
“The Kastner staff is a remarkable group of individuals working towards a common goal of closing the achievement gap,” said Julie Duwe, principal of Kastner Intermediate. “Their commitment to academic growth and student well-being is the foundation of our school’s success. I am truly honored to lead such an exceptional group of educators.”
Duwe also credited the district’s support in helping students make the transition from elementary to middle and high school as being a driving force in fostering success. Through the SOAR Impact Program, Duwe said students are paired with an on-campus mentor who helps students secure school supplies, financial support for school activities and other resources.
Norman Liddell Elementary sits on the northwestern edge of Fresno and serves 628 students, about 12% of whom are English learners. The school’s latest standardized test scores are more than ten percentage points above state average, and it has the distinction of being Central Unified’s first-ever Blue Ribbon School.
“This is the highest recognition for a school, and we are beyond excited to be included in such a prestigious group of schools. It’s always a great day to be a Liddell Lion, but today is extra special,” principal Erin Gunstream said.
All 31 of the California Blue Ribbon Schools will be recognized this upcoming spring.
“It’s my pleasure to congratulate these school communities on their hard work to earn recognition as 2025 California Blue Ribbon Schools. While the U.S. Department of Education has abruptly ended the NBRS program, I want to ensure that the hard work of students, staff, and educators does not go unrecognized,” state superintendent Tony Thurmond said.
A now-defunct government website listing National Blue Ribbon Schools awardees— catalogued by the Internet Archive in July — indicates that Kastner Intermediate received the honor in 1985 and 1993, while Liberty Elementary got it as recently as 2019.
This story was originally published October 29, 2025 at 2:04 PM.
