The story of the O’Day Short family, whose legacy continues to shape how Fontana remembers its history, will reach new audiences with the PBS debut of “O’Day Short: An Act of Justice” at 6:30 p.m. PDT, Friday, Oct. 23, on PBS KCVR. The documentary highlights the family’s history and the community’s efforts to honor their lives and preserve their legacy for future generations. Produced by award-winning filmmakers E’Ian West and George Sharperson, the film will be distributed through a five-year public media partnership with PBS, NPR, and FNX. Fontana Unified School District Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Clarissa Trejo contributed research to the documentary.
Fontana Unified School District brought CalKIDS Scholarship claiming support directly to students on Oct. 8, as Fontana High School (FOHI) hosted California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre, and education partners for an event focused on helping students access financial resources for their future education and career goals. The event brought together nearly 1,200 students, educators, community members, and elected officials and featured a hands-on claiming activity to help students take the next step toward accessing their CalKIDS accounts. Fontana Unified also welcomed students from Date Elementary School and Fontana Middle School, who were paired with FOHI seniors to help support the scholarship claiming process.
The Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) Board of Education has selected Dr. Ramiro Rubalcaba, a seasoned educator with 30 years of experience, as a finalist to serve as the District’s next Superintendent. His appointment is contingent upon the completion of successful contract negotiations, followed by formal Board approval of his employment and employment contract, during the regularly scheduled Board meeting on Oct. 21. Dr. Rubalcaba began his public education journey in the Los Angeles Unified School District, where he spent 17 years in progressively responsible positions. He is currently the Superintendent in the Los Nietos School District in Whittier, and previously served as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources in the Victor Valley Union High School District in San Bernardino County and in Azusa Unified School District as a high school principal and assistant superintendent.
With a mariachi band serenading more than 200 attendees, Dolores Huerta International Academy (DHIA) celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a community gala on Sept. 18, spotlighting the award-winning K-6 school’s commitment to promoting multicultural and multilingual students through its International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme and Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program. Representatives of Congresswoman Norma Torres, State Senator Eloise Reyes, and Assemblymember Robert Garcia presented special proclamations and certificates to DHIA during the celebration, recognizing the dedication of the administrators, faculty, staff, and students who have helped build the school into a community treasure.
From one-on-one interactions with representatives from universities, U.S. Armed Forces, and other organizations to learning about career technical education (CTE) programs offered across all District high schools, students will learn about the opportunities available to them while networking with professionals from various industries.
More than 1,400 CalKIDS Scholarship Accounts are available to eligible students, with scholarships of up to $1,500 available for post-secondary education and career training. Students will receive support navigating the claiming process, while learning about the collaborative efforts of state, county, and local education leaders to connect students with financial resources and opportunities beyond high school.
Fontana High School’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (MCJROTC) has been named a Naval Honor School for the eighth consecutive year and the 20th time overall since the program began in 1991, continuing a longstanding tradition of excellence in leadership development and citizenship.
The powerful civil rights story of the O’Day Short family, whose legacy led Fontana Unified School District to rename Randall Pepper Elementary School in their honor in August 2025, will reach new audiences through a five-year public media partnership with PBS, NPR, and FNX. The short documentary, “O’Day Short: An Act of Justice,” will air on the networks’ programming lines and streaming services beginning this fall, helping preserve the family’s story for generations to come. The film was produced by award-winning producers E’Ian West and George Sharperson, with research contributions from Fontana Unified Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Clarissa Trejo.
Twelve Fontana Unified School District schools have earned platinum honors from the California Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coalition for the 2025-26 school year – the most FUSD campuses to receive the top recognition in District history – while 30 schools were recognized overall for fostering positive, supportive campus cultures. This is the third consecutive year that Fontana Unified has had 10 or more schools earn platinum honors. All 30 schools will be celebrated at the 2026 California PBIS Conference, held Oct. 7-9 in Sacramento.
Fontana Unified School District has earned recognition on the 2026-27 U.S. News & World Report High School rankings, with all five of its comprehensive high schools ranking among the top 50% of schools in California and the top one-third of schools nationwide. The rankings also reflect strong graduation outcomes across the District, with each high school reporting a 90% or higher graduation rate above both the California rate of 87.5% and the national rate of 87.4%.
