The maximum number of points that a school can earn is 60,000. El Camino put together an impressive 52,601.1, beating out the next closest contender, Granada Hills Charter High School, by a couple of hundred points. This marks the 15th national championship title won by a school in the L.A. Unified district.
In commenting on the school district’s outstanding record on the decathlon, Tamar Galatzan, a Los Angeles Board of Education member, commented:
“The decathlon demands an incredible commitment by the students, coaches and their families, and I congratulate them all on this record-setting achievement.”
Teams of nine members compete against each other answering questions in 10 different subject areas including math, literature, and science. What sets the decathlon apart from other academic challenges is not restricted to the highest performing students.
World War I was the study focus for this year’s two-day contest, which was staged in Honolulu, Hawaii. Close to 470 students participated in the competition. El Camino Real’s win means California schools have now captured 16 out of the last 19 national championships.