MONTEREY COUNTY — October 30, 2026. The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District has received a 2026 Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association for a long-running effort to give students broader access to college preparation, career training and college-credit courses. MPUSD announced the recognition on October 28, describing it as the district’s second consecutive year winning in the Golden Bell program.
The winning initiative, “College, Career, Choice for All,” connects district graduation requirements with University of California and California State University admission expectations while opening more technical education and dual-enrollment courses. The honor is for district policies and their implementation, not a claim that every graduate has secured a college place or a job.
What changed in student outcomes?
According to the district’s October 28 announcement, the percentage of graduates assessed as “Prepared” on California’s College/Career Indicator increased from 37.3% in 2019 to 64.5% in 2025. The share assessed as “Not Prepared” fell from 33.8% to 16.1%. These are district-reported comparisons between two distinct years; they do not establish that every improvement was caused solely by the award-winning initiative.
The district also reported an increase in its graduation rate from 93.3% to 96.1%, with graduation rates for English learners increasing from 75.2% to 93.0% and for students with disabilities from 71.1% to 87.4%. The release identifies these as outcomes of a multi-year redesign of school schedules, support structures and academic opportunities.
What do families gain from dual enrollment?
MPUSD says annual college-course enrollments by high school students grew from about 850 in 2018–19 to more than 1,450 in 2025–26. Since 2020–21, the district says 51 students completed the California General Education Transfer Curriculum and 34 earned associate degrees before high-school graduation. These are counts of reported achievements, not an assertion that the same number of students received a degree in 2026 alone.
The district also reports that the share of graduates meeting UC/CSU A–G requirements rose from 60% to 70.2%, while completion of career technical education pathways increased from 49.5% to 57.6%. The number earning California’s State Seal of Biliteracy rose from 76 in 2022–23 to 131 in 2025–26.
How was the school day redesigned?
Board and staff actions included aligning graduation expectations with UC/CSU requirements, expanding seven- and eight-period scheduling, improving access to Career Technical Education, including English learners and students with disabilities in electives, and adding individual learning plans and credit-recovery options. The district says the aim was to avoid forcing students to choose between needed support and advanced or career-oriented coursework.
Which communities are affected?
MPUSD serves students in Monterey, Marina, Seaside, Del Rey Oaks and Sand City. The program therefore has regional significance beyond any single school or neighborhood. Students should review the course choices actually offered at their own school, because not every campus or grade level necessarily has an identical schedule or CTE pathway.
The district received a different Golden Bell recognition in 2025 for its early learning and preschool-through-third-grade programs. That earlier award should not be confused with the 2026 college and career pathways honor.
Sources and limitations
Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, October 28, 2026, Golden Bell announcement and outcome tables; California School Boards Association Golden Bell Awards.
California58 education coverage, October 30, 2026. All comparative student indicators are the district’s published figures; this article does not independently measure causation or assert that every student has equal access to identical courses today.
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