Two additional local high schools will join the winner of the 2020 Ventura County Academic Decathlon in the statewide competition to be held in March in Sacramento. Calabasas High School was guaranteed a spot in the state competition after winning both first and second place at the county level. And now, Westlake and La Reina High Schools have been invited to fill open spots in the state competition based on their scores at the county level. Westlake placed third in the Ventura County competition.

Students from 15 local high schools participated in the 2020 Ventura County Academic Decathlon, which was held on January 25 and February 1 at Pacifica High School in Oxnard. The theme of this year’s Academic Decathlon is “In Sickness and in Health: An Exploration of Illness and Wellness.”

The California Academic Decathlon will be held on March 27 and 29 in Sacramento. The winner of the state competition heads to the United States Academic Decathlon. Ventura County teams have made it to the nationals six times, placing second in 2000 and 2002, and taking first place in 1999, 2003, 2008 and 2009. A list of past winners is available here.

More About the Academic Decathlon

The Academic Decathlon is an opportunity for high school students in Ventura County to compete against like teams of students countywide. Students compete in ten academic events that cover subjects ranging from art to economics. The United States Academic Decathlon is the nation’s premier scholastic competition for students from public and private high schools across the country.

A unique aspect of the competition is that it’s designed to include students from all academic backgrounds. A team consists of nine full-time students from the 9th through 12th grades at the same high school. Each team is comprised of three students whose grade point average falls into the “A” category, three students in the “B” category and three students in the “C” category. Additional information about the Ventura County Academic Decathlon is available at this link.