Three Fontana Unified School District elementary schools have been recognized for their excellence in closing the achievement gap with their selection for the prestigious 2025 California Distinguished Schools (CDS) Program. Beech Avenue, Date, and Shadow Hills elementary schools were named California Distinguished Schools by the California Department of Education (CDE) on March 25 in recognition of their academic growth and commitment to fostering positive school climates. Twenty-two Fontana Unified schools have earned the California Distinguished Schools award since its inception in 1985, with Shadow Hills receiving the distinction three times in its history. The schools earned the distinction under the program’s Closing the Achievement Gap category, based on data from the 2024 California School Dashboard. They will be honored at the California School Recognition Programs Awards Ceremony in Anaheim on Friday, May 30.
Fontana Unified’s new academy will provide students and families with access to small class sizes and high-quality academic instruction, supporting the District’s commitment to meeting the needs of its community, particularly the rapid growth in the north end of Fontana. The innovative three-in-one campus will serve as a school, community engagement hub, and gallery space, honoring the history of Fontana while showcasing original student work. Design features include STEM labs and maker spaces, robotics and fabrication labs, media production studios, outdoor learning areas, a graphic design studio, a research hub and study lounge, and a gymnasium.
Students in the Fontana Unified Theatre Conservatory will perform in the California Theatre of the Performing Arts’ upcoming showcase of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” The FUSD Theatre Conservatory partners with Theatrical Arts International Foundation Inc. to provide students with the opportunity to showcase their talents and gain real-world stage experience in a professional production. The general public can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster or by calling 909-885-8263.
FOHI’s theatre program was recognized for its excellence in its performance and production of “She Kills Monsters” at the 2024-25 California Educational Theatre Association (CETA) High School Festival. As a group, FOHI placed fourth in CETA’s Area 2, took second in the Festival’s Second Stage Competition, and won its third Artistic Merit Award at the event. Individually, four Fontana High students: Belen Cruz Flores, Hayley Shelly King, Cielo Tule, and Susanna Medina received Adjudicator Awards at the CETA Festival, while Lillian Flanagan and Brandon Nunez came away with Director’s Awards.
With a new principal at the helm, Chaparral Academy of Technology has embraced its "Level Up Your A-Game" theme, helping students find renewed excitement and passion for learning, and setting the stage for a dynamic school year. Chaparral Academy’s schoolwide call to level up your A-game or the five characteristic traits that start with A: altruistic, aspiring, artistic, adaptable, and achieving has not only inspired Roadrunner students but faculty and staff – or “staffulty” a term Principal Tim McCaffrey calls them.
Fontana Unified School District Superintendent Miki R. Inbody has been named a Superintendent to Watch by the California School Public Relations Association (CalSPRA), while the District also earned four awards during the 2025 CalSPRA Awards Gala on March 7, underscoring FUSD’s commitment to innovative outreach and community engagement. Inbody joins CalSPRA’s prestigious list of Superintendents to Watch, who have demonstrated dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core. She was selected from a pool of nominees for the award, which recognizes superintendents with fewer than five years of experience. FUSD was also recognized with three CalSPRA Awards of Merit while Senior Director of Marketing, Communications, and Engagement Clarissa Trejo was named a 2025 CalSPRA Rising Star. CalSPRA awards are designed to celebrate outstanding communications work in comprehensive programs/campaigns and tactics.
Fresh off an award-winning production, Jurupa Hills High School’s theatre group, dubbed Players of the Palace, is wrapping up its 2024-25 season with its production of “Frozen: The Broadway Musical.” Based on Disney’s beloved animated film, the production will bring all of its iconic characters to life on stage. The Players of the Palace offers Jurupa Hills students advanced theatre instruction, preparing them for success in performance and technical roles. The general public can purchase tickets to one of its performances through tix.com.
Two Fontana High School (FOHI) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (MCJROTC) marksmanship teams will travel to Sandy, Utah looking to continue its run of success at the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Three-Position Air Rifle (3PAR) Western Regional hosted at the Mountain America Exposition Center on April 10-12. Media are invited to visit a FOHI MCJROTC marksmanship practice leading up to the regional competition, where FOHI MCJROTC Senior Marine Instructor (SMI), Lieutenant Colonel Rugsithi Denny Meelarp, Ret. and student team members will be available for on-camera interviews.
Jurupa Hills High School senior Karla Louisa dedicates every Tuesday to inspiring the next generation, sharing her passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) while playing games and building a meaningful bond with her fourth-grade “Little,” Yasmin, as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program. BBBS of the Inland Empire named Louisa one of its two 2025 Mentors of the Year from its High School Bigs Program for her extraordinary mentorship, friendship, and advocacy. Each year during National Mentoring Month, BBBS honors two outstanding mentors with a regional title, which comes with a $2,500 College & Career Award to help fund their post-graduation dreams.
Fontana Unified School District’s (FUSD) Southridge Tech and Wayne Ruble middle schools have been honored as 2025 California Schools to Watch, recognizing them as model schools dedicated to supporting the whole child. Fontana Unified accounted for two of the 90 middle schools across the state to be named to the California League of Middle Schools’ 2025 list of California Schools to Watch. These schools are recognized for their commitment to academic excellence, social equity, developmental responsiveness, and innovative systems.
