Baldwin Park Unified schools and community partners were recognized by the California PBIS Coalition for services and support provided to students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Foster Elementary, Margaret Heath Elementary, Olive Middle School and Baldwin Park High School were celebrated alongside District partners Care Solace, Kaiser Permanente and Teachers Pay Teachers.
Baldwin Park Unified will welcome back students on Monday, August 17 with an enhanced distance learning program, complete with online academic support groups and emotional and mental wellness check-ins. BPUSD’s task force – made up of administrators, educators and District leaders – developed instructional support systems to guide students and parents. Schools hosted registration and drive-thru distribution days to ensure all students are equipped with the necessary materials for distance learning.
Two Baldwin Park Unified high schools – Sierra Vista High and North Park Continuation High – have received three-year accreditations from the Accrediting Commission of Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS-WASC) for their commitment to equity and high-quality education. ACS-WASC accreditations indicate to the community that the schools are trustworthy institutions for student learning and dedicated to ongoing improvement.
Baldwin Park Unified’s North Park Continuation High School and Sierra Vista High School were recognized by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) with a three-year accreditation, coming after mid-cycle visits completed this year. Both schools were commended for their supportive school communities and rigorous, high-quality career and college preparatory programs.
Baldwin Park Unified will launch its enhanced distance learning program to begin the 2020-21 school year, featuring online academic support groups, emotional and mental wellness check-ins and support systems for parents. BPUSD’s Distance Learning 2.0 program will provide students with live online instruction five days a week and devices for all K-12 students.
Ten Baldwin Park Unified graduates were awarded with $500 scholarships each from the Waste Management Internship and Scholarship Program for their resilience, determination and commitment to bettering themselves and their community. Baldwin Park High School scholarship recipients include valedictorian Kendra Nguyen, salutatorian Zaia Rodriguez and Herman Cortez. Sierra Vista High School scholarship winners include Fernando Castillo, Jadriel Delim, Ashanti Gamez, Baldwin Ma, Alina Mercado, Adriana Roscala and Varuni Vittayavongvanich.
Two Baldwin Park Unified elementary schools have been named 2020 Los Angeles County Top Public Schools for narrowing the opportunity gap for low-income Latino students and increasing their chances to attend a public university. Kenmore Elementary and Santa Fe School earned the distinction for their strength in English language arts (ELA) proficiency; Kenmore was also recognized for its math proficiency.
Baldwin Park Unified honored the Class of 2020 – lauded for its academic achievement and resilient spirit – with socially distanced celebrations that culminated an unconventional school year. Nearly 850 graduates from Baldwin Park, North Park Continuation and Sierra Vista High Schools were celebrated through senior recognition days, drive-thru ceremonies, social media shout-outs and virtual celebrations, ensuring seniors received a memorable send-off while adhering to public health guidelines.
Ten Baldwin Park Unified Class of 2020 seniors gave shouts of joy and even shed a few tears as a District caravan of well-wishers, equipped with balloons and flowers, traveled through the city on May 15 to personally deliver the news that the students had received scholarships totaling $11,000. District leaders – including Superintendent Dr. Froilan N. Mendoza, Board of Education and Cabinet members, administrators and community leaders – wore masks and practiced social distancing as they surprised students at their homes, placing the decorations and a certificate on the lawns and porches of recipients.
Baldwin Park Unified students will benefit from new air conditioning systems, restored sports fields, new school marquees and safer infrastructure as the District completes Measure K-funded projects targeting safety, long-term needs and current needs. These upgrades are the last items to be funded by Measure K, a bond measure approved by BPUSD voters in 2006, to improve school safety and security, as well as enhance learning and athletic facilities.
