Oak Mesa Elementary School students saw their creativity take center stage during a campus visit by The Imagination Machine, which transformed student-written stories into lively performances that blended humor and the fundamentals of storytelling. Students gathered with anticipation in March as their classmates’ stories were introduced across three assembly sessions. This year, actors clad in paint splattered overalls brought seven stories written by Oak Mesa students to life through colorful costumes, music, and playful stagecraft. Over the school day, stories such as the mysterious “Ghost of Oak Mesa” and the heroic “Super Friends” were transformed into lively theatrical scenes.
When Agatha Sosa arrived at Bonita High School as a freshman, she was too nervous to speak publicly. Offered an opportunity to join a five-week leadership program that would boost her confidence and place her on a pathway to success in college and career, Sosa said she doubted that she could learn so much in so short a time. One year later, Sosa has been recognized as a Kollab Youth 2026 Youth of the Year after joining the organization’s Workforce Development Program, w where she progressed rapidly, received mentorship from industry experts, and earned a spot on Kollab Youth’s Teen Leadership Council.
The Bonita Unified ProStart Culinary program made history once again when the San Dimas High School culinary team was crowned the California ProStart Cup champion for the second consecutive year, giving the student chefs an opportunity to defend their title at the National ProStart Invitational, to be held in Baltimore in April. San Dimas High School is the first back-to-back California ProStart Cup champion since 2010-11. Following closely behind in second place was 2024 California ProStart Cup champion Bonita High School, giving the District its first-ever one-two placement at the Cup, adding another successful chapter in the District’s storied history in the competition. For the third consecutive year, Bonita Unified will represent California in one of the country’s most popular and challenging amateur culinary competitions.
Bonita Unified School District Superintendent Matt Wien addressed a crowd of community members, local and state elected officials, students, and staff during the 2026 State of the District on March 2 at the Bonita Center for the Arts, celebrating remarkable achievements across academics, athletics, arts, and career technical education that exemplify “The Bonita Way.” During the biannual address, Wien highlighted Bonita Unified’s continued academic success through California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) metrics, noting that 74% of students met or exceeded standards in English language arts and 63% in mathematics on the 2024-25 statewide assessments, both all-time highs for the District. The results place Bonita Unified among the top-performing unified school districts in California, ranking in the top 6% statewide in English language arts and the top 8% in mathematics, while the District continues to reclassify more than 20% of its English learner students as proficient in English each year.
Bonita Unified ProStart culinary students enjoyed an opportunity to rub elbows with Michelin-starred chefs and National Football League (NFL) legends – while contributing to the fight to end student hunger – during Taste of the NFL 2026, a culinary and gridiron extravaganza held during Super Bowl weekend in San Francisco. Taste of the NFL raised $2.2 million for GENYOUth, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to ending student hunger, increasing access to physical activity, and elevating student voices. The money will increase access to nearly 150 million school meals for 540,000 students in 1,000 schools across the nation.
Chaparral-Vista High School Dean of Students Kendra Lewis has been recognized by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) as its 2026 Region 15 Promising Administrator of the Year, highlighting her leadership, innovation, and deep commitment to equity in education and student success. Lewis is now in her third year at Chaparral-Vista High, after serving more than 10 years as a math and AVID teacher in another district. Lewis turned to administration because she wanted to make an even bigger impact on student success.
Bonita High School continues its annual tradition of providing IRS-certified accountants-in-training to help local taxpayers with incomes below $69,000, through its no-cost Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Bonita High’s VITA program has assisted families in filing their tax returns for more than 20 years, hosting monthly Tax Days dedicated to the services, as well as individual appointments throughout tax season.
The Rotary Club of San Dimas continued its annual tradition of supporting Bonita Unified teachers by awarding mini-grants to help fund special projects and classroom learning. Rotary Club president Mike Wallace and secretary Steve Scott presented mini-grants totaling $3,200 to seven teachers during the Feb. 4 Board of Education meeting.
With nerves buzzing and mental dictionaries ready, Bonita Unified students took center stage for the District’s 20th Annual Spelling Bee on Feb. 2, transforming the Bonita Center for the Arts into a high-stakes arena of vocabulary and composure where 56 students battled one by one, ready to spell their way to victory. The competition unfolded over multiple rounds with the field narrowing word by word. In the end, Ally Abad, a fifth-grader from Gladstone Elementary School, claimed first place, followed by fellow Gladstone fifth-grader Maddox Macias in second, and Shull Elementary fourth-grader Sophia Salvador in third place. The win marked the fourth consecutive time a Gladstone student captured the Bonita Unified School District Spelling Bee title.
Bonita Unified School District Superintendent Matt Wien will speak directly to the District community about the tremendous successes seen throughout BUSD in academics, art, athletics, and more during the 2026 State of the District address. Wien will highlight areas of growth within the District and share his vision for Bonita Unified’s future.
