San Bernardino News Daily Local news for San Bernardino, about San Bernardino.
The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) recently announced that the Captain Leland F. Norton Elementary School has been honored by the California Department of Education (CDE) as a 2026 Green Achiever School, the highest distinction possible under the California Green Ribbon Schools Award program.
The California Green Ribbon Schools (CA-GRS) Award recognizes California K–12 public and private schools and local educational agencies that have demonstrated progress in reaching the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools Pillars, which include:
- Reducing environmental impact and costs
- Improving the health and wellness of schools, students and staff
- Providing effective environmental education that incorporates STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), civic skills and green career pathways
Schools that earn a California Green Ribbon School Award are recognized in one of four categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold or Green Achiever. Only the top five performers in all categories combined are named California Green Achievers and are nominated for the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools Award.
Norton Elementary is one of only two public schools in the state to be named a 2026 Green Achiever and the only Green Achiever in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. This is Norton’s fifth California Green Ribbon School Award, including earning a Gold Award in 2025 and a Silver Award in 2024.
According to the CDE website, Norton was honored in part for instilling a culture of responsibility, health and environmental awareness through project-based learning, energy conservation initiatives, recycling, water-saving practices and wellness-focused programs.
