TAHOE/TRUCKEE

The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) is celebrating a wave of state recognition as three of its schools were recently honored for academic excellence and innovative student support by California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

Distinguished Honors for Alder Creek Middle and North Tahoe High Schools:

Alder Creek Middle School (ACMS) and North Tahoe High School (NTHS) have both been named 2026 California Distinguished Schools for exceptional student outcomes and innovative support systems.

Selection for this award is based on rigorous data from the California School Dashboard, including academic achievement metrics, graduation rates, and college and career readiness. This year, the state placed particular emphasis on schools that perform at the highest levels or make significant strides toward closing the achievement gap.

Sierra High School (SHS) was named a 2026 Model Continuation High School. SHS is one of only 59 schools statewide to receive this prestigious designation, which honors excellence in instructional strategies, flexible scheduling, and guidance services.

In his official announcement, Thurmond gave SHS a special mention for its Career Technical Education (CTE) Ag and Natural Resources program. Specifically, he highlighted the creativity of SHS students, who are currently producing a film on the reintroduction of wolves. This project has earned an invitation to an International Wildlife Film Festival in Montana.

The state also praised the Sierra Teen Education Parenting Program’s (STEPP) onsite daycare, which provides essential support to student parents.

~ Tahoe Truckee Unified School District press release