Schools / Education news

Esperanza High School’s speech and debate team will send 10 students to the national championships in Minneapolis next week.

Students will compete against 200 of the nation’s top teen debaters in persuasive speaking, literature interpretation, extemporaneous speaking and team debate.

The team is ranked first in Orange County, coach Suzanne Munsell said.

“We just started going to nationals the last four years and we’re still getting the hang of it,” Munsell said. “But the combination this year has been dynamite.”