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%.
Fontana Unified School District community members and partners celebrated its newest transitional kindergarten through sixth-grade elementary school with a groundbreaking ceremony held on Sept. 16, expanding access to modern learning spaces in one of Fontana’s fastest-growing areas. The 63,000-square-foot, single-story campus is expected to open for the 2028-29 school year and will provide an academically-rich environment for up to 800 students. It will be the second new Fontana Unified campus to open in two years, following the opening of Oak Grove Preparatory Academy in August.
Fontana Unified School District leaders, students, families, and community partners will celebrate the groundbreaking of a new transitional kindergarten through sixth-grade
elementary school, which will become the newest addition to the District’s network of award-winning schools. The 63,000 square foot, single-story campus will expand access to
modern learning environments for families in one of the region’s newest and fastest-growing neighborhoods.
Anticipation is building in Fontana Unified as Fontana and A.B. Miller high schools prepare to resume their football rivalry on Friday, Sept. 11, a night that will also honor the City of Fontana’s police officers, firefighters, and paramedics during a special First Responders Night at A.B. Miller Stadium. First responders will receive free entry to the rivalry game in honor of their service to the Fontana community and also to mark 25 years since 9/11. A group of local first responders will serve as honorary team captains, taking the field for the pregame coin toss. Additionally, a commemorative Fontana T-shirt that reads, “5 Schools, 1 City” will be gifted to the first 100 residents at the game who have taken a photo of themselves at the 9/11 statue located at City Hall. Fontana High School’s (FOHI) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (MCJROTC) will also present colors prior to kickoff.
For 30 years, Fontana Unified School District’s Fontana Leadership Intervention Program (FLIP) and Junior FLIP have helped more than 1,000 students overcome challenges and make positive choices, with the 2025-26 school year cohort reporting some of the programs’ strongest data yet. Led by the Fontana School Police Department (FSPD), FLIP uses a “court of your peers” model to help students break patterns affecting their attendance, behavior, or academic progress. The 16-week course provides students with tutoring, mentorship, and structured lessons focused on discipline, emergency preparedness, and the importance of attending school. Participants take part in field trips and leadership development activities, and receive support in making positive choices at school and home. Families are also connected with additional needed resources to ensure students are supported every step of the way.
Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) has launched its first-ever Fontana School Police Department (FSPD) Cadet Program, providing a pathway for public safety career technical education (CTE) graduates to return to the District for an exclusive opportunity to build their experience in the field. The program welcomed its first cadets: Zachary Flores and Nadia Whiting, two Jurupa Hills High School graduates who completed Fontana Unified’s public safety CTE pathway and are now gaining firsthand experience with the FSPD.
Fontana Unified School District has welcomed the 2026-27 school year with six dedicated administrators assuming new leadership roles as principals across several campuses, including the newly opened Oak Grove Preparatory Academy.
More than 30,000 students returned to classrooms across Fontana Unified on Aug. 6, kicking off a landmark year celebrating 70 years as a unified school district and a legacy of excellence in education dating back to the opening of its first elementary school in 1888. Across Fontana Unified’s 46 schools, students were greeted with music and balloons, while staff and student leaders cheered them on as they began the new academic year. Students returned to expanded opportunities in career technical education and visual and performing arts (VAPA), further integrating their career aspirations and interests with classroom learning.
