FONTANA, CA – Thirty-one Fontana Unified schools secured prestigious California Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coalition Awards for their dedication to creating and maintaining supportive and inclusive cultures that foster student success during the 2023-24 school year.

This marks the fourth year in a row FUSD has set a District record for total and platinum PBIS awards, with 11 schools securing the highest honor from PBIS, for its commitment to promoting positive behaviors through the comprehensive PBIS framework. All 31 FUSD schools will be honored at the 2024 California PBIS Coalition Conference from Wednesday, Oct. 9 to Friday, Oct. 11 in Sacramento.

“It takes a collective effort from our District and school site staff to implement the vital work carried out through PBIS, and these awards reflect their dedication to our students,” Student Support Services Director Dr. Vernell Deslonde said. “This growth shows our District has gone above and beyond to ensure PBIS strategies are strategically implemented to improve student outcomes.”

PBIS is a proactive, schoolwide framework designed to foster positive behavior, improve student well-being, and enhance academic outcomes. The framework aims to increase awareness of social-emotional and behavioral needs, equip students with self-management skills, and train instructors on best practices to make a meaningful difference in the lives of their students.

Fontana Unified’s PBIS recognition has grown exponentially over the years, jumping from 21 total honored schools, including seven platinum honors, for 2020-21 to 31 total and 11 platinum honors for 2023-24.

PBIS recognized schools across the state for proper implementation of PBIS strategies during the 2023-24 school year with four award levels: platinum, gold, silver, and bronze. Platinum-level honorees, in particular, have demonstrated outstanding use of these practices to build supportive and inclusive school cultures, focused on student success.

Eleven schools earned platinum-level honors: Citrus, Cypress, Date, Juniper, Redwood, Virginia Primrose elementary schools, Dolores Huerta International Academy; and Alder, Harry S. Truman, Sequoia, and Southridge Tech middle schools.

Nine schools secured gold-level honors, including Live Oak, O’Day Short (formerly known as Randall Pepper), Oleander, Poplar, and Sierra Lakes elementary schools; Fontana Middle School; and Citrus, Eric Birch, and Jurupa Hills high schools. Eleven sites reached silver distinction: Almond, Beech Avenue, Canyon Crest, Maple, Shadow Hills elementary schools, and Dorothy Grant Innovations Academy; Almeria and Wayne Ruble middle schools; and A.B. Miller, Fontana, and Henry J. Kaiser high schools.

Six schools enjoyed promotions from last year in these 2023-24 PBIS awards, with both Citrus and Virginia Primrose moving up from the gold to platinum level and Canyon Crest Elementary advancing from bronze to silver. Three schools – Beech Avenue Elementary, Shadow Hills Elementary, and Wayne Ruble Middle School – earned silver after not making a PBIS list in 2022-23.

“Fontana Unified continues to reach incredible new heights in PBIS, which is a testament to the commitment of our educators and staff to our students,” Superintendent Miki R. Inbody said. “This work is an essential part of how we support our students across our schools and equip them with the tools to thrive academically and socially.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

FUSD_PBIS1: Sierra Lakes Elementary Principal Joel Aviña welcomes students to school. Sierra Lakes is one of 31 Fontana Unified schools honored with California PBIS Coalition Awards for the 2023-24 school year.

FUSD_PBIS2: Students at Cypress Elementary School, which earned the prestigious platinum California PBIS Coalition Award, enjoy class. Fontana Unified’s 11 platinum PBIS awards set a District record for the fourth year in a row.