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.
El Monte Union High School District’s Board of Trustees voted to adjust the graduation requirements for the Class of 2021, easing the path for seniors who have struggled to complete their schoolwork since the introduction of distance learning in March 2020. The credit requirements for graduation will be reduced from 220 to 190 and students will have until Aug. 15 to complete their coursework.
El Monte Union High School District has been awarded a $9.8 million grant by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to fund a menu of Clean Mobility measures to promote the use of zero-emission vehicles and clean transportation options for students, parents and staff with the added benefit of a pilot Career Technical Education (CTE) curriculum to engage students in clean energy career pathways. CARB awarded grants for the new two-year Clean Mobility in Schools Pilot Project, which is a part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment.
More than 150 El Monte Union High School District parents received guidance on how best to support their children during distance learning, as well as advice on how the children can be successful in school during the 25th Annual Parent Involvement Academy (PIA) – held virtually this year. Celebrating its silver anniversary, the PIA offered multi-lingual workshops focusing on social-emotional support, planning for college and providing resources for students with special needs. Parents received a certificate of participation from Superintendent Dr. Edward A. Zuniga on March 18.
El Monte Union High School District is partnering with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to community members ages 16 and up through drive-thru clinics. Additional clinics are being held Saturday, May 8, with second doses to be administered Saturday, May 29 at South El Monte High, 1001 Durfee Ave., South El Monte. The clinics will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Photos are available.
El Monte Union’s Nutrition Services Department has been recognized by Tyson Foods for its chicken ramen noodle soup recipe, one of five winning recipes in a national contest to highlight innovative K-12 menu items shared by school district employees across the United States. The recipe, submitted by Nutrition Coordinator Toni Fu, is a grab-and-go item prepared for the District’s meal distribution and is featured on the Tyson website.
El Monte Union High School District held a socially distanced groundbreaking ceremony at Rosemead High School on March 25, with administrators and staff cheerfully celebrating the launch of construction for the school’s new track and field. The project, which features a new synthetic football field and repairs to the rubberized track, is expected to be completed in July 2021.
