FONTANA, CA – Fontana Unified School District’s work to increase student attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism culminated in the District’s School Attendance Review Board (SARB) being recognized as one of California’s 23 model SARBs for 2024.

During the 2023-24 school year, Fontana Unified’s commitment to fostering an engaging, supportive, and inclusive environment for all students led to it posting a 94% attendance rate for the year while dropping its chronic absenteeism rate from 30 to 20%. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond recognized FUSD’s Model SARB on May 9.

“Fontana Unified strives to provide an engaging, supportive, and inclusive environment for all students,” Superintendent Miki R. Inbody said. “The results from our efforts to improve our attendance and chronic absenteeism were phenomenal this year. It is extremely rewarding to see the hard work of Fontana Unified’s students, staff, and community partners recognized with this Model SARB designation.”

Throughout the year, FUSD hosts attendance campaigns to help boost its attendance before hosting its annual Perfect Attendance Spells Success (PASS) event near the end of the school year, which celebrates and rewards students for their exceptional attendance and academic achievements.

Fontana Unified students qualify for PASS awards by maintaining a minimum 98% attendance rate and 2.7 GPA with no out-of-school suspensions. This year, a record-breaking more than 2,000 students qualified for the PASS awards, which included scholarships, gift cards, and electronics – affirming FUSD’s efforts to maintain a positive, high-quality learning environment that encourages students to attend school daily.

Summit High School junior Haylie Arias came away with the top prize, a 2024 Chevrolet Trax LS, at Fontana Unified’s 2024 PASS event at A.B. Miller High School on May 9. Mike Caposio of Rotolo Chevrolet dealership donated the brand-new car to encourage students to commit to their academic journeys, with the hopes of someday hitting the road to follow their dreams.

“I was speechless and in utter shock when I found out I won a car,” said Arias, who plans to attend a four-year university and major in criminal justice in pursuit of a career as a criminologist or lawyer after high school. “I couldn’t believe that out of everyone I won it. This car has shown us how much God has blessed our family.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

FUSD_ATTENDANCE1: Fontana Unified School District’s School Attendance Review Board (SARB) was named one of 23 model SARBs in California in 2024 for its work to increase student attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism. The District posted a 94% attendance rate in 2023-24 while dropping its chronic absenteeism rate from 30 to 20%.

FUSD_ATTENDANCE2: Fontana Unified hosts an annual Perfect Attendance Spells Success (PASS) event near the end of the school year to celebrate and reward students for their exceptional attendance and academic achievements. Summit High School junior Haylie Arias, center, came away with the top prize at this year’s PASS event, a 2024 Chevrolet Trax LS.

FUSD_ATTENDANCE3: Fontana Unified hosts attendance campaigns throughout the school year to help boost its attendance, which led to the District’s School Attendance Review Board (SARB) being named a 2024 model SARB in California.