The academic year is underway, and officials with the Long Beach Unified School District are already celebrating how their campuses are welcoming, supportive places for students to learn and grow.
Thirteen Long Beach Unified School District campuses earned 2026 California Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Recognition, according to a recent press release. The honor, district officials said, highlights schools’ work to create positive, supportive and inclusive learning environments where students can thrive.
The California recognition program celebrates thousands of schools statewide that are implementing PBIS, a schoolwide framework that helps campuses establish consistent expectations, reinforce positive behavior, and strengthen conditions for teaching and learning, according to the organization’s website. For the 2025-26 school year, nearly 2,700 schools were recognized.
Five LBUSD schools received gold recognition, and eight received silver recognition for implementing PBIS, the press release said.
“Every student deserves to be seen, known, challenged, supported and encouraged with care, regardless of where that student begins,” Superintendent David Zaid said in a statement. “These schools are moving from values to action, creating positive school cultures and setting conditions for student success. I’m proud of our site Culture & Climate Teams, students and families for bringing that commitment to life every day.”
The schools that received gold recognition were Bret Harte Elementary, Powell Academy for Success, Stevenson Elementary, Theodore Roosevelt Elementary and Webster Elementary.
The schools that received silver recognition were MacArthur Park Elementary, Starr King Elementary, Jane Addams Elementary, Stephens Middle, Prisk Elementary, Riley Elementary, Cleveland Elementary and Barton Elementary.
The recognition provides a tangible measure of the work underway across LBUSD to strengthen school climate and support positive student behavior, district officials said. Through PBIS, school teams use proactive, evidence-based practices to build consistent systems of support and to respond to students’ needs.
The recognized schools will be featured on the California PBIS website at pbisca.org and celebrated during the annual California PBIS Conference in Sacramento in October.