The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Whittier resident Armando Urteaga to serve as Trustee for Area 5 following a Special Board Meeting on Jan. 17. Urteaga will serve the remainder of the term through November 2026. The appointment followed interviews with six candidates conducted during the special meeting. After interviews and deliberation in open session, the Board selected Urteaga based on his extensive experience in public education and long-standing service to local school communities. Urteaga has been a resident of the Whittier area for 25 years and is a longtime public education leader with more than 30 years of experience serving students and families. He holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from California State University, Los Angeles, and a master’s degree in educational management and school administration from the University of La Verne.
As construction progresses at one of Fontana Unified School District’s (FUSD) newest, state-of-the-art campuses, District leaders have unveiled the official name and academic vision for Oak Grove Preparatory Academy, a seventh- to 12th-grade school designed to blend career-connected learning, academic advancement opportunities, and student-centered support. Formerly known as the Secondary Academy, Oak Grove Prep reflects the District’s continued focus on serving a growing North Fontana community by expanding opportunities for students to explore careers and expand their academic and social foundations. The school, opening fall 2026, will begin enrolling students from grades six to nine, adding on an additional grade level each academic year.
Kaiser High School’s Career Technical Education (CTE) Visual and Performing Arts Theatre students turned months of creativity and collaboration into statewide recognition, earning first place at the California Educational Theatre Association (CETA) High School Theatre Festival with their production of “The Adventures of Pericles,” by William Shakespeare, where Fontana students surpassed 20 performing arts programs from across the region. Kaiser’s CTE students transformed their school’s multipurpose room into a reimagined, immersive theater space, where they brought the production to life. The award reflects three intensive months of student-led work, including designing and constructing the set, creating costumes, engineering lighting, and managing front-of-house operations. Additional Fontana Unified School District competing schools also performed strongly at the festival, with Jurupa Hills and Fontana high schools each earning second-place finishes in their respective divisions.
Six El Monte Union High School District students took part in the 2026 Rose Parade on Jan. 1 after being selected to perform with the Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band, representing their schools and the District during one of the nation’s most widely watched New Year’s Day events. South El Monte High School junior Aden Gonzalez returned as a herald performer for the second consecutive year; Mountain View High School (MVHS) senior Pablo Pinedo was selected for percussion (cymbals), and senior Jennifer Rivera-Rivas, along with juniors Samantha De La Cueva Morfin, Daniela Garcia, and Karina Rodriguez, were all selected as color guard performers. The District’s Board of Trustees honored the students during its Jan. 7 meeting, presenting certificates of recognition and celebrating the milestone with family members, school leaders, and music educators.
South Hills High School senior Julian Libuit is part of a prestigious group of students nationwide to match with one of QuestBridge’s 55 college partners, earning a full four-year scholarship to Colgate University through the National College Match program. QuestBridge connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with top colleges and universities, offering the means to continue their educational journeys.
he Whittier Union Board of Trustees will begin its process to fill the vacancy in Trustee Area 5 when it conducts interviews of seven eligible Whittier residents who seek a provisional appointment to the Board during a special Board of Trustees meeting to be held at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 in the Whittier Union Board room. Community members are welcome to attend the open session in-person or via webinar to view the process and to participate in public comment prior to the interviews. Webinar information will be available next week on the District’s website.
A shared commitment to student success is uniting four Texas community colleges – Brazosport College, Clarendon College, Texarkana College, and Hill College – to strengthen campus cultures of care through Caring Campus, with support from the Trellis Foundation. The Trellis Foundation grant, officially completed at the end of December 2025, has been instrumental in launching Caring Campus at each institution, providing the resources needed to train staff, implement proven strategies, and intentionally focus on human connection across campuses. At Brazosport College, leadership has leveraged the support of the Trellis Foundation to implement Caring Campus for staff and has chosen to further extend that commitment by investing institutional funds to bring Caring Campus to faculty as well.
Lone Hill Middle School’s Where Everybody Belongs (WEB) program is strengthening campus culture by helping sixth graders transition into middle school and providing eighth-grade students with meaningful leadership opportunities. Now in her third year overseeing the program, adviser Katryna Estrada has developed WEB as a key driver of inclusivity and student connection on campus.
John Roach has been selected as the next Superintendent of Hacienda La Puente Unified School District (HLPUSD), bringing decades of experience in public education, a deep commitment to student success, and a passion for creating safe, engaging learning environments rooted in transparency and collaboration. Throughout his career, Roach has served in a wide range of educational leadership and instructional roles, including assistant superintendent of educational services; senior director of assessment, research, data analysis, and educational technology; director of secondary curriculum; middle school principal; and elementary school teacher. Each role has reinforced his dedication to public education and to supporting students, staff, and families.
After four years of developing her skills in Fontana High School’s (FOHI) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (MCJROTC) marksmanship program, senior Stephanie Mendoza capped the program’s 2025 undefeated season by earning the Junior Distinguished Shooter Badge, the highest honor awarded at the junior level, and becoming the first FOHI student to receive the distinction in more than a decade. The Junior Distinguished Badge is awarded by the Civilian Marksmanship Program to junior shooters who accumulate 30 excellence-in-competition points, including at least 10 from national-level championships. With fewer than 2,000 badges awarded nationwide, recipients of this award are among the best in the country, recognizing their sustained discipline and competitive consistency.
