South County

Scholars to Be Honored: Top scholars in the Capistrano Unifed School District will be honored and the schools they attend financially rewarded when the school board tonight awards $46,000 to seven junior and senior high schools. For Capistrano Valley, ranked as the district’s No. 1 high school, the bonus will total $25,000. The top-ranked junior high, Niguel Hills in Laguna Niguel, will receive $3,000. According to Sharon Tanner, a district spokeswoman, the awards are being given to the schools by the district in recognition of students’ performance in intra-district competition, such as the academic decathlon and mock criminal trials. “This is the first year we have done this,” Tanner said. “We believe that the academicians deserve just as much recognition as the athletes.” Committees made up of parents, teachers, students and administrators at each of the seven schools will decide how to spend the money, she said.