El Monte Union High School District honored 21 teachers, classified and certificated staff who are retiring after contributing a combined 540 years of service to the District, during the June 16 Board of Trustees meeting. EMUHSD employees were recognized and thanked for their years of service and dedication to students.
El Monte Union High School District honored the Class of 2021 with in-person graduation ceremonies for El Monte, South El Monte, Rosemead, Arroyo, Mountain View and Fernando R. Ledesma high schools, inviting graduates, family members and staff to celebrate together after a year in remote learning. The ceremonies, held June 3 and 4, brought students and families back to the schools’ outdoor stadiums and courtyards, where they followed safety protocols that included masks and social distancing.
More than 100 El Monte Union parent leaders, representing all five District comprehensive schools, were recognized for their volunteer spirit, guidance, and support during a Parent Leader Appreciation drive-thru celebration, held May 27. Superintendent Dr. Edward Zuniga greeted the parents, thanking them for their support and presenting them with certificates of recognition and a commemorative El Monte Union ‘Parent Leader’ T-shirt. Parents also received gift bags filled with personal protective equipment from their school’s principal and community liaison.
El Monte Union High School District held a raising of the LGBTQIA+ flag ceremony to honor the month of June as Pride Month for the third year in a row on May 27. The EMUHSD Board of Trustees passed a resolution during the May 5 board meeting, to celebrate June as LGBTQ Pride Month, promoting inclusivity and celebrating the identities and contributions of the LGBTQ community.
The El Monte Union High School District will host in-person commencement ceremonies for all six high schools beginning with Fernando R. Ledesma High School at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 3 on the FRLHS campus. Arroyo, El Monte, Mountain View and So. El Monte High School commencement ceremonies will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 3 at their respective campuses. Rosemead High School’s ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. Friday, June 4 at the Arroyo High School stadium. All ceremonies celebrating the Class of 2021 are ticketed events and will practice social distancing. All attendees are required to wear masks.
Arroyo High School juniors Brianna and Emilie Gonzalez have been ranked by Team USA and USA Wrestling on the National Girls High School Rankings List, with Brianna Gonzalez ranked #1 and Emilie Gonzalez ranked #10 out of 25 girls in the 100 pounds category.
South El Monte High School senior Vanessa Amezcua has been selected as a 2021 Edison Scholar, thanks to her activism within her own community and at school. Amezcua wants to effect change that will improve the environment surrounding under-resourced communities. After graduation, Amezcua plans to attend college and major in environmental science.
The El Monte Union High School District will launch a series of public meetings to gather community input as it begins the process of shifting from at-large elections to by-trustee area elections. The transition means that residents will vote for a single candidate residing in their newly drawn trustee-area, usually one-fifth of the entire district, instead of voting for any board candidate on the ballot within the El Monte Union District boundaries. The change will go into effect November 2022. The process will be divided into two parts. First, the District will initiate a community information program beginning in May, which will share details about the transition through postcards, a website and community meetings held in the morning and in the evening Thursday, May 13.
El Monte Union high schools have been listed among the top-performing public high schools in the state and the nation, according to the 2021 Best High Schools rankings by U.S. News and World Report. Arroyo, El Monte, Mountain View, Rosemead and South El Monte high schools earned high rankings among approximately 1,675 high schools in California. El Monte Union’s graduation rate among its five comprehensive high schools is more than 90 percent.
El Monte Union High School District has received the San Gabriel Valley Energy Champion award and achieved gold tier status for outstanding efforts and dedication to maximizing energy efficiency, becoming the first district in the San Gabriel Valley to earn the recognition. El Monte Union received the recognition in December 2020 and was officially recognized during the April 14 Board of Trustees meeting by the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments.
