CITY OF INDUSTRY – Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez has been selected as a 2022 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), emphasizing his great leadership and dedication to students, parents, staff and the District.

The annual award is presented to 25 school district leaders with less than five years of experience as a superintendent who has demonstrated dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core. Dr. Jiménez, who is in his third year as Superintendent for Hacienda La Puente Unified, brings nearly 27 years of expertise in the field to the District.

According to the NSPRA, Dr. Jiménez was chosen to receive this honor from a record number of nomination submissions that they received this year.

“I knew that Dr. Jiménez would be the ideal candidate to receive this honor — his exceptional leadership, passion for education and enthusiasm for developing innovative programs is unmatched,” said Dr. Judy Fancher, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Pre-K-12. “NSPRA was looking for Superintendents that create effective ways to inform and communicate with the community, which Dr. Jiménez has worked so hard to achieve over the past three years. He provided at-home town halls for the HLPUSD community during distance learning in 2020, presented the annual State of the District events virtually twice to ensure the community’s safety and produced numerous brochures and fliers to help HLPUSD families stay connected with the District.”

Dr. Jiménez is a recognized educator with a background grounded in Pre-K-12 leadership. He has devoted his career to expanding access and achieving equity for students of diverse backgrounds and needs, striving to provide the highest-quality education for all students.

Over the past three years, Dr. Jiménez has expanded the District’s Computing, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (C-STEM) program. He was named the UC Davis Center for C-STEM Superintendent of the Year in 2022 for his work in integrating hands-on coding and robotics into math and science education.

Dr. Jiménez has also expanded the implementation of the use of New Pedagogies for Deep Learning, which has helped the District enhance its career technical education pathways and launched the Intersectional Ethnic Studies TK-12 curriculum, Speech and Debate, Youth Cinema Project, expanded Conga Kids and many other learning opportunities.

“It has been such a joy working alongside Dr. Jiménez the past few years and it was an honor to recommend him for this well-deserved recognition,” Board President Christine H. Salazar said. “Our theme this year is about finding new ways to inspire deep learning. Dr. Jiménez has done an outstanding job helping us create professional development opportunities for our educators, presenting and collaborating at numerous conferences to represent HLPUSD, creating community partnerships to boost academic achievement and much more.”

Hacienda La Puente Unified School District has been recognized by the NSPRA previously, receiving three separate awards for excellence in the State of the District, Facts at a Glance and Superintendent Updates.

“It is an immense honor to be recognized by NSPRA alongside a phenomenal group of Superintendents that build positive communication and constant collaboration within their community,” Jiménez said. “My goals are to continue exploring innovative ways to leverage District institutions and policy frameworks to maximize all students’ talents, interests and abilities. I would like to extend my appreciation to the Board of Education for their constant support, as well as to our teachers, staff, community and, of course – our outstanding HLPUSD students who inspire me each and every day.”

Dr. Jiménez will be profiled in upcoming issues of NSPRA’s monthly Member Memo e-newsletter, and will be recognized at the NSPRA 2023 National Seminar in St. Louis in July.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

HLPUSD_SUPERINTENDENTSTOWATCH1: Nelson Elementary School students proudly guide Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez through a tour of their color projects and artifacts during a Día de Los Muertos Walking Ceremony on Nov. 1, 2022.

HLPUSD_SUPERINTENDENTSTOWATCH2: Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez supports students as they engage in various hands-on math experiences using coding and exploration during a school site visit in October 2022.