Covina-Valley Unified Wrestlers Excel at CIF State Championship
Northview High School’s wrestling program continues strengthening its status as one of the top high school wrestling teams in the state, wrapping up another historic season at the CIF State Wrestling Championships. Under the leadership of National High School Wrestling Hall of Fame coach David Ochoa and Bobby Bellamy, the team had four athletes place at the CIF State Championships: senior Savannah Lewis, who placed second in the 150-pound weight class; junior Leilani Lazaro, who placed fifth in the 116-pound weight class; senior Adrian Limon, who placed fifth in the 120-pound weight class; and senior Julian Leon, who placed eighth in the 132-pound weight class.
Covina-Valley Unified School District has expanded its metal fabrication career technical education pathway by approving a new capstone course for the District’s high school welding program. The new course will be the third metal fabrication class in the District’s three-year course sequence and will be offered in the fall of 2022 – with an option to begin in the summer of 2022, depending on enrollment – to juniors and seniors at Covina-Valley Unified’s four high schools.
Covina-Valley Unified School District is bolstering its mental wellness efforts through partnering with Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, which will promote the significance of social and emotional learning across the District. Through this partnership, Covina-Valley Unified has implemented social-emotional taskforces at their schools and aims to teach students and staff the RULER program—an acronym that stands for recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing and regulating emotions. The District has augmented its counseling services since the start of the 2021-22 school year—sharing mental health resources on the District website, opening wellness centers at their schools and employing an on-site counselor at each school to ensure students have the resources they need to support their emotional wellbeing.
Covina High School has named Aaron Berry as its new head football coach, who will bring his winning experience as both a player and a coach to the role. An alumnus of Azusa Pacific University, Berry returns to the San Gabriel Valley to guide the Covina-Valley Unified school’s accomplished program, which won the Sierra League Championship and advanced to the California Interscholastic Federation quarterfinals last year. As Covina High’s head coach, Berry will lead all aspects of the football team and the holistic development of their student-athletes.
Covina-Valley Unified’s Mesa Elementary Celebrates Lunar New Year
More than 700 Covina-Valley Unified students, staff and families gathered at Mesa Elementary School to celebrate the Year of the Tiger by enjoying Chinese cuisine, gifts, and entertainment, bringing forth tidings of good fortune, wealth and longevity. Held on Feb. 4 and Feb. 9, the festivities brought the District community together to honor the history and tradition of Lunar New Year on a campus adorned with red lanterns and artwork.
South Hills High School has named Jacob Calderon as their next head football coach, an alumnus who brings years of experience and success as both a player and a coach to his new position. Calderon returns to South Hills following coaching stints at Chaffey College, El Monte High School and most recently, Bishop Amat Memorial High School.
Covina-Valley Unified School District was named a returning member of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools for their commitment to promoting educational equity, establishing innovative school-wide programs, infusing technology in all aspects of learning, and advancing positive change in public education. The District was previously named a member of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools’ 2017-2018 cohort and re-selected after a year of transitional leadership. Examples of innovation can be seen throughout the District—including their seamless transition to online learning amid school closures, cutting-edge career technical education pathways, National SAT Day participation and dual enrollment programs.
Covina-Valley Unified’s Covina and South Hills high schools are each searching for qualified candidates for their next head football coach. Both schools are looking for coaches who will help coordinate all aspects of their football program and foster the development of student-athletes. Covina High School has an outstanding football team—winning the Sierra League Championship and reaching the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) quarterfinals in 2021.
South Hills High School also follows in a strong football tradition, winning five CIF titles – most recently in 2018.
Seven Covina-Valley Unified elementary schools have been recognized among the top-performing public schools in California, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best K-8 Schools rankings. Mesa Elementary School and Barranca Elementary School ranked in the top 15 percent of elementary schools in the state, while Merwin Elementary School, Grovecenter Elementary School and Rowland Avenue Elementary School all ranked within the top 20 percent. Workman Elementary School and Ben Lomond Elementary School also ranked in the top 25 percent. U.S. News & World Report’s inaugural K-8 rankings draw from U.S. Department of Education data on student proficiency and performance in mathematics and reading.
Covina-Valley Unified Delivers Over $6 Million in Taxpayer Savings
Covina-Valley Unified School District recently refinanced some of its General Obligation bonds, resulting in decreased interest rates and saving taxpayers $6.1 million. Under the leadership of the Board of Education, Covina-Valley Unified sought to refinance the bonds to take advantage of historically low interest rates in 2021. The refinancing reduced the interest rate on the prior bonds from 4.67% to 2.91%. This move will result in more than $6 million in savings to local taxpayers from 2023 to 2044 and lower the repayment ratio on these bonds.
