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Bonita Unified School District

  • Bonita Unified Honors Reclassified English Learners with District Celebration

    In a festive atmosphere that embraced the coming of autumn, favoring tranquil shades of orange that reflected throughout the Bonita Center for the Arts, Bonita Unified celebrated its newest group of English learners (EL) eligible to be reclassified after passing their English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) exams during a Districtwide ceremony on Oct. 1. All BUSD schools with reclassified ELs were recognized at the same time, with 81 K-12 students eligible to participate in the ceremony, where they received a medal, certificate, and goody bag, while their families cheered them on.

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  • Bonita Unified High Schools Recognized Among Nation’s Best by U.S. News & World Report

    Bonita Unified School District’s comprehensive high schools, Bonita High and San Dimas High, have been named among the top 16 percent of public high schools nationwide in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report “Best High Schools” rankings, recognizing the schools’ commitment to academic excellence and college readiness. Bonita High School placed in the top 11% of public high schools nationwide and in the top nine percent of schools statewide. San Dimas High School ranked in the top 16% nationwide and in the top 15% of California schools. Both schools achieved graduation rates of 94% or higher.

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  • Bonita Unified’s 53rd Smudge Pot Game Unites Generations of Students in Display of Friendly Rivalry, School Spirit

    For more than half a century, the Smudge Pot has been more than just a football game in Bonita Unified – it has been a showcase of community pride, student talent, and family tradition. On Sept. 13, that legacy continued as Bonita and San Dimas high schools brought their rivalry to Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) for the 53rd annual matchup. This year marked the first time the storied contest was played at Mt. SAC’s Hilmer Lodge Stadium, where Bonita High secured its seventh consecutive Smudge Pot victory with a 28-14 win. Beyond the scoreboard, the annual Smudge Pot tradition has long been a celebration of the entire Bonita Unified community, District students’ talents in athletics and the arts. Students on both sidelines kept the energy high throughout the game; San Dimas High and Bonita High Associated Student Body (ASB) leaders led their sections in chants, while cheer and dance teams from both schools performed.

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Bonita Unified School District Tops California Reading Report Card Rankings for Second Year

Bonita Unified School District continued to outpace school districts across the state in reading competency, ranking No. 1 in the state on the California Reading Coalition’s (CRC) California Reading Report Card, based on California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress English language arts test scores from 2021-22. Among districts with at least 100 economically disadvantaged Latino third-grade students, Bonita Unified led the way with 53% of the subgroup meeting or exceeding California grade-level standards. Bonita Unified’s No. 1 ranking is the result of a years-long District commitment to boost reading comprehension across all grade levels, embracing a data-driven method that reflects teaching practices proven by extensive research to effectively teach children how to read.

Bonita Unified Culinary Students Advance to National Competition

San Dimas High School ProStart restaurant management students punched their tickets to Washington, D.C. after their idea for an unapologetically delicious, fast-casual restaurant specializing in guilty pleasure entrees won first place in the California Restaurant Foundation’s 2023 ProStart Cup. Following their victory at the state competition in March, the winning students will now advance to the nation’s capital to compete in the National ProStart Invitational, to be held Tuesday, May 2 to Thursday, May 4 at the Washington Hilton. The first-place victory was the capper in a historic day for the Bonita Unified ProStart culinary program, with five San Dimas High and Bonita High teams placing in the top five in both the culinary and restaurant management categories, and more than a dozen students winning a total of $80,000 in scholarships. Photos are available.

Bonita Unified’s San Dimas High Reaps 23 CIF Southern Section Academic Team Awards

San Dimas High School student-athletes demonstrated their excellence on the field and in the classroom with the release of the CIF Southern Section’s (CIF-SS) 35th annual FORD Academic Awards, in which the Saints earned 23 team academic awards and two individual awards. Each year, CIF-SS issues team awards in 27 sports; all 23 of San Dimas’ eligible squads were honored this year for maintaining team GPAs of 3.0 or higher. The San Dimas High girls’ tennis team secured the Academic Award Team Championship, presented to teams from schools with an enrollment below 1,499.

Bonita Unified’s San Dimas High to Stage ‘High School Musical’

The San Dimas High School drama club will stage a spring production of “High School Musical on Stage!” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12 and Thursday, April 13; at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 14; and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 at the Bonita Center for the Arts. Tickets are available for purchase online at https://www.bonitacenterforthearts.com/. The Bonita Center for the Arts is located at 822 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas.

Bonita Unified Senior Makes History as School’s First-Ever Edison Scholar, Receives $50,000 Scholarship

Bonita High School senior Jeremiah Weetly came to his AP Computer Science class on March 27 and took a seat at his desk, having no idea that his life would change dramatically by the time the dismissal bell rang. In front of his classmates and mom, Weetly was named a 2023 Edison STEM Scholarship winner and was presented with a check for $50,000 from Edison International, money that will help Weetly attend his dream college and study electrical and computer engineering. Weetly is one of just 30 students across Southern California to win the scholarship this year, as well as the first student at Bonita High to ever be named an Edison Scholar.

Bonita Unified Students Honored by Educational Foundation for Acts of Kindness, Perseverance

Cheered on by a full house of teachers, staff and families, nearly 100 Bonita Unified students were honored with a moment in the spotlight – for achievements that often go unrecognized – during the 2022-23 La Verne/San Dimas Educational Foundation (LVSDEF) Awards. Held March 13 at the Bonita Center for the Arts, the awards ceremony is one of the foundation’s signature annual events. Founded in 1983, LVSDEF aims to enhance educational opportunities for students within Bonita Unified. Through various fundraisers and sponsorships, the foundation also awards teacher mini-grants every year to support classroom projects, donates funds to each school’s arts programs and more.

Bonita Unified Middle School Students Excel in Math Competition

Lone Hill Middle School’s Mathletes showcased their academic excellence during the 11th annual Middle School Math Competition, held March 18 at Damien High School. The event brought together local seventh- and eighth-grade students for an exciting day of contests designed to test students’ math skills. The Lone Hill Mathletes took second place in the Seventh Grade Super Quiz Bowl, a collaborative team contest, and one Lone Hill student was named the top seventh-grader in the geometry exam.

Bonita Unified’s San Dimas High School Receives AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award

San Dimas High School has been recognized by the College Board for its work in establishing equal gender representation in its Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) class, honoring the school with its 2022 AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. This is the first year that San Dimas High has been recognized with the award since initiating its program in 2019. The award is given to schools that have AP CSP classes with 50% or more female exam taker representation, or a percentage of CSP exam takers that meets or exceeds that of the school’s female population. San Dimas is one of just 832 high schools across the United States to receive the award in 2022.

Bonita Unified Associated Student Body Students Receive Award for Service-Minded Leadership

The Associated Student Body (ASB) at San Dimas High School creates a community of inclusivity where every Saint feels like they belong. This service-minded leadership and encouragement of students has earned San Dimas High ASB the Outstanding Leadership Program Award (OLPA) by the California Association of Student Leaders. The OLPA is a distinguished award presented only to 5% of eligible schools whose student leadership programs demonstrate that students are growing as ethical, responsible and servant-minded leaders. San Dimas High ASB students were recognized for exhibiting their skills at adapting activities and events, providing resources, supporting staff and students, working toward creating an equitable campus and more.

Bonita Unified Choirs to Embark on Performance Tour Across Hawaii

Bonita High School’s Chamber Singers and Concert Choir will spend spring break showcasing their vocal talents as they travel across Oahu, Hawaii during a performance tour from Sunday, April 1 to Tuesday, April 4. Bonita choral students will perform at various venues, visit with high school and college choirs, take a master class and more. Bonita High School’s award-winning choral ensembles have performed at festivals and concerts at storied venues across the nation, including Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center in New York and Symphony Hall in Chicago.