Three Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) high school theatre programs have once again been recognized with numerous top awards and accolades for stellar performances and craftsmanship at the 2024-25 California Educational Theatre Association (CETA) High School Festival. Fontana High School’s Theatre Production program, Henry J. Kaiser High’s Artistic and Theatrical Society (KATS), and Jurupa Hills High School’s Players of the Palace all wowed judges and earned top accolades at the CETA High School Festival of Scenes, which was held from Jan. 17 to 19 at Fullerton Union High School and featured performances from 17 schools. Performing scenes from their fall 2024 theatrical productions, all three FUSD schools placed in the top four of CETA’s Area 2, where first to fourth place was separated by just 0.12 of a point, while the entire cast and crew received certificates of merit at the prestigious event. All three productions placed in the top 10 of the 75 eligible schools in Southern California, with Jurupa Hills and Kaiser tying for third place and Fontana High taking fourth in Area 2.
Oak Park Elementary School has been recognized on a state level for its high academic performance and dedication to closing the achievement gap after earning a spot on the Educational Results Partnership’s (ERP) prestigious 2024 Honor Roll list of California schools. Like other ERP Honor Roll schools, Oaks Park Elementary has demonstrated consistently high levels of student academic achievement, improvement in achievement levels over time, and a reduction in achievement gaps among student populations. Principal Gerald Mullins credits those positive results to a positive school culture, along with its dedicated staff and teachers, and a supportive community.
Chaparral Academy of Technology students erupted in cheers, waving glow sticks as balloons and lively music filled the air as the announcement was made that their school won the Jostens Epic School Revamp Contest, which comes with a prize package valued up to $150,000. A panel of judges named Chaparral Academy the grand-prize winner of the Jostens second annual Epic School Revamp contest, giving the school access to a team of identity and culture experts that will work with faculty and students on a rebranding. The school will soon be transformed with new murals, banners, and other vibrant visuals that refresh the campus while embodying the essence of the Roadrunner spirit.
Fontana Unified School District will celebrate Black History Month with a special event designed to recognize the achievements and contributions of Black students and culture. The event is hosted in collaboration with the District African American Parent Advisory Council (DAAPAC) and will feature culturally enriching entertainment, art displays, a collection of moving historical artifacts, and an awards ceremony recognizing District students for their academic and artistic excellence.
For more than 30 years, Fontana High School (FOHI) students have been developing critical skills through the school’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (MCJROTC), which has been honored by the Marine Corps Reserve Association (MCRA) for its continued excellence in training young students to become role models and community leaders. The Fontana High MCJROTC program has been named the MCRA Region 4 Honor Unit for 2023-24, marking the program’s fourth time earning the distinction (1997, 1999, 2022, 2024), including twice in the last three years. It is the Marine Corps’ highest unit award and recognizes FOHI as the Top Naval Honors School in Region 4, which spans the West Coast.
Jurupa Hills High School seniors Karla Louisa and Berlyn Sanchez are seeing their dreams of becoming the first in their families to attend college come to reality, with both earning the prestigious QuestBridge National College Match scholarship for their outstanding academic achievements. Both Louisa and Sanchez said they sobbed when they logged into QuestBridge’s online portal and were greeted with confetti signifying they qualified for the QuestBridge National College Match four-year scholarship worth more than $325,000. They are each headed to prestigious East Coast institutions, with Louisa set to attend Barnard College in New York and Sanchez enrolling at Boston University.
Fontana Unified School District’s (FUSD) headquarters parking lot once again transformed into a Southern California winter wonderland as it continued its tradition of spreading holiday cheer to local families in need during its 27th annual Fontana Santas toy distribution on Dec. 21. For hours, a steady line of cars moved through the festive event picking up gifts of school supplies, food, books, and information on readily available community resources before lastly visiting Santa and Mrs. Claus, who handed out toys near their sleigh. Volunteers of FUSD students, staff, and community members, including the entire Board of Education loaded each car up with gifts. For Elsie Avalos, who works in Maple Elementary School’s health office, it was a chance for her family to give back to the community as she volunteered alongside her daughters Joanna and Isabella.
Fontana Unified School District’s (FUSD) Board of Education restructured ahead of the new year as it welcomed two new members, Danielle Holley and Angel Ramirez, and appointed new leadership during the Board’s annual election and organization meeting on Dec. 18. The meeting began with a ceremonial roll call to celebrate the first Board session featuring newly elected members Holley and Ramiez, who both participated in an oath of office ceremony surrounded by friends, family, and other elected officials. The Board also elected Adam Perez to serve as its new president, while Holley was appointed to serve as vice president during the meeting.
Summit High School’s Summer Bridge Program prepares incoming freshmen for the rigors of high school by reducing the anxiety that comes with attending a new school, which led to it winning the prestigious California School Boards Association (CSBA) Golden Bell Award. Five Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) programs have now won six CSBA Golden Bell Awards, which promote excellence in education and school board governance by recognizing outstanding school programs throughout California. District leaders received the award at CSBA’s 2024 Education Conference and Trade Show, which was held Dec. 5-7 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
Fontana Unified School District will modernize Fontana Middle School’s nearly century-old campus with a phased construction project that aims to enhance campus safety by demolishing and replacing the school’s two-story L Building. Fontana Middle School’s L Building has been closed for the entire 2024-25 school year after being deemed unusable due to the presence of hazardous materials in May 2024. The first half of the school’s revitalization will begin with the removal of hazardous materials from the L Building during the District’s 2024-25 winter break. Demolition of the building will start during the 2025 spring break before its completion in summer 2025, along with enhancements to the school’s entrance.
