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Fontana Unified School District

  • Fontana Unified Educator Selected as Finalist for California State Teacher of the Year Award

    Live Oak Elementary School teacher Michelle Vazquez discovered her calling for teaching and advocacy at a young age, growing up in a family that ran a foster home for adults with special needs. Vazquez credits her childhood for teaching her the importance of dignity, patience, and creating spaces where everyone feels valued. It’s a lesson the Resource Specialist Program (RSP) teacher has carried with her throughout her 16-plus years in education. That dedication helped lead to her recognition as Live Oak Elementary and Fontana Unified School District’s (FUSD) 2024-25 Teacher of the Year, as well as one of the 2026 San Bernardino Countywide Teachers of the Year. With the county recognition, Vazquez is now a finalist for the 2026 California Department of Education Teacher of the Year award.

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  • Fontana Unified to Expand Student Services by Uniting Award-Winning Continuation Schools

    Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) will strengthen and broaden academic and support services for its continuation high school students as it merges its two Model Continuation High Schools, Citrus and Eric Birch, beginning in the 2025-26 school year. Both continuation schools will consolidate under the name Eric Birch High School, relocating to the former Citrus High site at 10760 Cypress Ave., and adopting the Citrus Jaguars mascot. The FUSD Board of Education approved the merger and an estimated $150,000 cost associated with renaming the Citrus campus to Eric Birch High School during its June 18 meeting. Fontana Unified’s continuation school instruction has been recognized by the California Department of Education (CDE) for its comprehensive excellence. Both Citrus and Eric Birch earned Model Continuation School designations from the CDE for their innovative approach to alternative education, with Citrus earning the three-year status in 2023 and Eric Birch securing recognition in 2024, which extends into the 2025-26 school year.

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  • Fontana Unified to Celebrate Renaming of O’Day Short Elementary School, Honor Family’s Legacy

    Fontana Unified will host a renaming ceremony as Randall Pepper Elementary School officially transitions to O’Day Short Elementary in the 2025-26 school year, honoring the O’Day Short Family, which is remembered for breaking Fontana’s color barrier 80 years ago. District middle school student Cyrus Moss championed the renaming of O’Day Short Elementary. Moss submitted a petition with 132 signatures to rename Randall Pepper Elementary to the Fontana Unified Board of Education in March 2024. The Board unanimously voted to rename the school in September 2024 after all administrative regulations were met.

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Fontana Adult School Graduates Share Success Stories during Emotional Commencement Ceremony

Alexis Amigon spent two anxious weeks in the hospital fighting COVID-19. Ana Garcia lost her job during the pandemic, after working for 20 years as a waitress. Seryna Thai had just graduated from USC film school when she became afflicted with fibromyalgia. All three women were determined to change the trajectory of their lives by enrolling at Fontana Adult School (FAS). Today, Amigon is considering a career as a certified respiratory therapist, Garcia has been hired as a bilingual educator for Riverside Unified School District, and Thai is looking forward to teaching digital media at FAS. Amigon and Garcia shared their stories during an emotional Fontana Adult School commencement ceremony, held June 10 at San Manuel Stadium.

Class of 2021 Graduates from Fontana Unified’s A.B. Miller High Recognized for Athletic, Academic Achievements

The Citrus Belt Area Athletic Directors Association (CBAADA) recognized A.B. Miller High School Class of 2021 graduates Jhovanny Hernandez and Abigail Macedo as CBAADA 2021 Athletes of the Year for excellence in sports and in the classroom. Hernandez, who graduated with a 3.85 GPA, was a running back for A.B. Miller’s football team and sprinter on the track and field team. He will attend UC Riverside and study biology, with a dream of someday becoming an anesthesiologist or surgeon. Macedo, who graduated with a 3.4 GPA, played two years of volleyball and four years of soccer at A.B. Miller, serving as the team’s goalkeeper. She plans to continue playing soccer at the University of La Verne, where she will major in business, and hopes to become an entrepreneur and start her own business. Hernandez and Macedo, who both played multiple sports for A.B. Miller, received Citrus Belt patches and certificates.

Fontana Unified Renames Baseball Field to Honor Retired High School Teacher, Coach

A.B. Miller High School’s varsity baseball field will be renamed Frank Martinez Field to honor the retired physical education teacher who served as A.B. Miller’s first baseball coach, leading the team to 11 league championships, and guiding a generation of students to athletic and academic success. The renaming, approved by the Fontana Unified Board of Education on June 2, was initiated by former A.B. Miller players, including Samuel Lopez, a Class of 2001 graduate who teaches and coaches baseball at Summit High School, and Azusa High School Principal Dr. Martin Gomez. Lopez and Gomez helped collect nearly 300 letters of recommendation from former students and players in a single weekend.

Class of 2021 Graduates from Fontana Unified’s Kaiser High School Receive AVID Scholarships

Two Henry J. Kaiser High School Class of 2021 graduates, who were enrolled in the school’s college-prep elective Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), have received $1,500 scholarships to ease their transition into higher education, thanks to the Riverside Inyo Mono San Bernardino (RIMS) AVID Scholarship Program. Tim Rodriguez and Fatima Mejia are both first-generation college students who joined AVID as freshmen, developing study skills, learning about the college application process, accessing scholarship opportunities, and immersing themselves in a college-going culture. Rodriguez will attend Cal State San Bernardino and study computer science; Mejia will attend Cal Poly Pomona.

Fontana Unified Celebrates Class of 2021 with Lively Stadium Ceremonies

Fontana Unified’s Class of 2021 graduates turned their tassels as families cheered and colorful streamers cascaded through the air, marking their milestone achievement during dynamic commencement ceremonies at San Manuel Stadium, held June 8 to 10. The District honored graduates from its five comprehensive high schools, two continuation schools and adult school with outdoor, in-person ceremonies, featuring emotional speeches from standout students, tearful renditions of the schools’ alma maters, and marquee lights spelling “Class of 2021” adorning the field. The ceremonies, which implemented limited capacity and fixed seating in compliance with county health and safety guidelines, were also livestreamed via YouTube.

Fontana Unified’s A.B. Miller High School AVID Students Achieve 100 Percent 4-Year College Acceptance Rate

A.B. Miller High School’s Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) college-prep elective is celebrating a perfect score for its Class of 2021 graduates, with 100 percent of its AVID students accepted to a four-year university. All 65 A.B. Miller AVID graduates earned acceptance to at least one four-year college or university, spanning across a variety of University of California (UC) and California State University campuses, as well as private universities. They will continue their education at institutions that include UC Riverside, UC Irvine, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Northridge, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State San Marcos, Cal Baptist, University of La Verne, and more. A.B. Miller High School has offered AVID since 1993 and is an AVID Highly Certified Site. Media contact: Lauren Creiman, 909-833-9853

Fontana Unified IB Diploma Candidate Receives $10,000 James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship

When Jurupa Hills High School Class of 2021 graduate Jennifer Ibarra was young, she used to play teacher with her mom and stuffed animals, dreaming of someday having her own classroom. Ibarra’s love for teaching continued to develop as she grew into an academic leader at school and a Class of 2021 International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma candidate. Ibarra’s path to her dream career has become more financially secure thanks to a $10,000 scholarship from the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will help fund her studies at UC Riverside. The fund awards scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to high school seniors who plan to attend a four-year college or university and are the children or financial dependents of Teamster members.

Fontana Unified Senior Named 2021 Dell Scholar, Receives $20,000 Scholarship for College

A.B. Miller High School Class of 2021 graduate Luzmila Munoz has been named a Dell Scholar by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, an honor that comes with a $20,000 scholarship to support her dream of higher education. Munoz is a first-generation, college-bound Latina student who has a 4.46 GPA and has completed eight Advanced Placement classes, six Honors classes and eight dual-enrollment college classes. She plans to attend UC San Diego and major in computer science and engineering.

Fontana Unified Theater Students Advance to International Festival

Summit High School sister duo Vanessa and Victoria Reyes will represent Fontana Unified at the International Thespian Festival – held Tuesday, June 22 to Friday, June 25 – following dynamic, highly honored theatrical performances during the California State Thespian Festival. Vanessa, a rising senior and Victoria, a Class of 2021 graduate, diligently crafted virtual performances that earned superior markings from the judges during the state competition, exceeding all requirements and performing at an “above standard” quality. Vanessa and Victoria share a love of the arts that has flourished at Summit High School, inspiring Victoria to remain involved in local theater after graduation and Vanessa to pursue a career as a voice actor.