This past weekend, El Camino Real Charter High School won the California State Academic Decathlon. Coming in second was Granada Hills Charter High School, who won the state and national competition last year.

The traditional live competition was canceled, and the winner was determined by how the schools fared in regional rounds combined with new scores from an essay contest.

While the circumstances for this year’s competition were like no other, the first and second place finish followed an all-too familiar order. For years now, ECRCHS and Granada Hills have dominated this competition, swapping turns coming in first and second place. Last year, it was Granada Hills that came in first, going on to win its seventh national championship in eight years. As for ECRCHS, the national Academic Decathlon, scheduled to take place online in May, represents the opportunity to win a ninth championship over the past two decades.

The competitive success of these students is a testament to the principals, teachers, and staff who are creating a learning environment where they can thrive academically. And considering the crisis we are facing, this year’s win by ECRCHS students is all the more remarkable—and some much-needed good news for all of us in CharterNation.