Red carpets, cheering squads, and vibrant energy marked the first day of the 2025-26 school year as Hacienda La Puente Unified School District welcomed back more than 15,000 students across 28 campuses on Wednesday, Aug. 6. At Wedgeworth Elementary School, students began the year on a brand-new, two-story campus featuring 30 modern classrooms, smart technology, energy-efficient systems, and a fully outfitted kitchen. The indoor/outdoor multipurpose room offers a flexible learning and activity space, while an underground stormwater basin — designed to capture 1.5 million gallons of water — underscores the District’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.
SAN DIMAS/LA VERNE – Bonita Unified students looking to get a head start on college and career planning received expert guidance in auto repair, architecture, and engineering through career technical education (CTE) summer academies at Citrus College and Cal Poly Pomona, with rising juniors and seniors taking weeklong courses designed to spark their interest in lucrative fields.
Less than 24 hours before the start of the 2025-26 school year, Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) celebrated the renaming of O’Day Short Elementary School on Aug. 5, honoring the courageous legacy of the Short family, who inspired the renaming of the school after breaking Fontana’s color barrier at the school site nearly 80 years ago. Fontana Unified hosted the official renaming ceremony for O’Day Short Elementary – previously named Randall Pepper Elementary School – at the school’s campus, drawing a standing-room-only crowd of school and District staff, students, residents, elected officials, and two living relatives of the Short family.
Covina-Valley Unified School District will kick off the 2025-26 school year with its annual Welcome Back Convocation, bringing together teachers, staff, and administrators for a morning of celebration, connection, and inspiration. The event will include a dynamic keynote speaker, team-building activities, and uplifting messages to set a positive tone for the year ahead.
Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) is heading into the 2025-26 school year with 12 new administrative appointments, including five interim appointments, as part of a strategic reorganization designed to optimize leadership assignments within the District. Two Fontana Unified administrators took on new roles within the reorganization at the District level, with former school principals Christopher Hollister, Ed.D., and Patricia Corral, Ed.D., named Executive Director of Secondary Education and Interim Executive Director of Classified Human Resources, respectively.
Whittier Union High School District (WUHSD) is taking a significant step forward in its efforts to expand and celebrate arts education, moving ahead with plans for its new Performing Arts Center (PAC) – a state-of-the-art facility that will serve visual and performing arts (VAPA) students from across the District. The PAC, set to be built on the northwest side of the United Sierra Education Center, recently received final approval from the Division of the State Architect. With this milestone complete, the District’s general contractor is moving forward with bidding out the work, which will then be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 9. Construction is slated to begin shortly thereafter.
El Monte Union High School District’s (EMUHSD) ongoing partnership with Beat the Streets (BTS) Los Angeles continues to create opportunities for student-athletes to shine, with six students — including two recent graduates from the Class of 2025 — proudly representing their schools and community at the 2025 Beat the Streets National Camp and Duals, held June 24-26 at the University of Pennsylvania. BTS, a national mentor and sports-based youth development organization, aims to empower youth through wrestling. Its annual National Camp and Duals combines elite wrestling instruction with mentorship, leadership development, and team-building experiences.
A school year filled with prestigious recognitions continued for Wayne Ruble Middle School math and computer science teacher Zahra Razi, who recently earned two national honors for creating transformational learning environments and enriching students’ understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Razi was named one of the International Society for Technology in Education and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ISTE+ASCD) 20 to Watch Award recipients, making her one of just 20 early-career educators worldwide recognized for innovation and impact. She was also selected as a Generation AI Luminary, one of 10 educators nationwide honored for advancing AI-powered instruction and ethical technology use. Razi is the only educator in the country to be selected for both awards this year.
Fontana Unified will start the 2025-26 school year, welcoming more than 30,000 students back to campus on Wednesday, Aug. 6. The new academic year marks the beginning of a new era for O’Day Short Elementary School – previously known as Randall Pepper Elementary – as it officially opens under its new name in honor of the O’Day Short Family, which is remembered for breaking Fontana’s color barrier 80 years ago.
Covina-Valley Unified School District will welcome students and families back to its annual Back-to-School Extravaganza, continuing its tradition of providing students with free backpacks and school supplies for the upcoming school year.
