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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 Unified to Open Applications for Dual-Language Program

Fontana Unified School District will begin accepting applications for 2021-22 enrollment in its Spanish Dual-Language Immersion (DLI) program on Monday, Feb. 1. The program begins in kindergarten and is offered at Redwood Elementary School and Dolores Huerta International Academy. The DLI program fosters bilingualism and biliteracy, sociocultural competency and high levels of academic achievement. For more information, visit www.fusd.net/enrollment.

Fontana Unified to Host Virtual Session on Parenting in the Digital World

Fontana Unified will host a virtual Parent University session from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, led by “Cyber Safety Cop” Clay Cranford, highlighting tips for keeping children safer online and how to manage students’ screen time. FUSD’s Parent University aims to build capacity for parents and empower them as vital partners in the education process. Families may register for the virtual session on the Fontana Unified website.

Fontana Unified’s 23rd Annual ‘Fontana Santas’ Toy Distribution Brings Holiday Cheer to Families

Fontana Unified families were greeted with cheerful holiday decorations and festively dressed volunteers, the melodies of classic holiday music and the smell of fresh Christmas trees as they collected gifts during the District’s 23rd annual Fontana Santas toy distribution. The socially distanced drive-thru event, held Dec. 19 at the District Office, bestowed families in need from Fontana Unified’s elementary schools with age-appropriate gifts, supplies for a holiday dinner, stuffed stockings and more. Middle- and high-school families received gifts earlier in the week.

Fontana Unified Teacher, Administrator Recognized by UC Davis for Excellence in C-STEM Instruction

Fontana Middle School math teacher Yesenia Escobar was recently named a UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education (C-STEM) 2020 Teacher of the Year, joining Fontana Unified Coordinator of Secondary Mathematics Kristen Sandler, who was named a UC Davis C-STEM 2020 Administrator of the Year. The awards recognize contributions by educators, schools and districts for providing excellent integrated computing and STEM education for K-12 students throughout the year and inspiring students to pursue careers and post-secondary study in C-STEM fields. Sandler and Escobar received their awards during the 10th annual UC Davis/C-STEM Conference, held Dec. 7-10, where they also served as a moderator and panelist, respectively.

Fontana High School Named Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Naval Honor School

Fontana High School has been designated as a Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (MCJROTC) Naval Honor School for the 14th time, recognizing the program’s continued legacy of excellence and success in cultivating young leaders. Awarded by the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Training and Education Command, the 2019-20 Naval Honor School distinction celebrates top-performing MCJROTC programs in the U.S.

Fontana Unified English Teacher Recognized by Staples for Bringing Joy to Graduating Students

Teacher recipient for bringing joy to the hearts of her graduating seniors, just one of 20 teachers nationwide to receive the award. Rojas, who hand-delivered chocolate treats and gift bags to her students after school closures disrupted their traditional prom and graduation activities, accepted her award via Zoom conference on Nov. 20, receiving a $5,000 stipend to spend on school supplies.

Fontana Unified Seniors Bound for Elite Colleges, Universities on Full-Ride QuestBridge Scholarships

Five Fontana Unified seniors with dreams of helping others and uplifting communities will attend elite colleges and universities across the country, funded by full-ride QuestBridge National College Match scholarships. Fontana High School seniors Vanessa Gutierrez and Fatima Kamara matched with Scripps College and Yale University, respectively; Kaiser High School seniors David Aguilar and Marco Garcia received scholarships to Northwestern University and University of Pennsylvania, respectively; and Jurupa Hills High senior John Nino Requieron matched with Boston College. Fontana Unified’s QuestBridge Scholars are among 1,464 students who matched with a QuestBridge college partner this year, receiving early admission and four-year scholarships that cover the full cost of attendance.

Fontana Unified Film Production Students Recognized for Excellence in 60-second Social Justice Film Spots

Harnessing the power of film and committed to helping the mental health and well-being of their classmates and community, seven Fontana Unified film production students have been recognized for excellence in the Directing Change Film Project. Jurupa Hills High School seniors Gustavo Lopez, Christian Guerrero, Caleb Oard, Lyza Garay and juniors Brian Moreno and Alexzander Zavala, along with Summit High School senior Audrey Juarez, received honors for 60-second public service announcements touching on subjects such as social distancing, immigration rights, racism, voting and keeping a healthy daily outlook. The Directing Change Film Project is a monthly contest with two categories for high school students; The Hope & Justice category is an open submission for any film topic that encompasses social justice and equal rights issues, and the Monthly Prompt category asks for films concentrating on a single subject.

Fontana Unified’s Summit High Yields Two QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship Finalists

Two high-achieving Summit High School seniors are one step closer to earning a full-ride scholarship to an elite college or university after being named QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship finalists. Gabriel Rodriguez Cortez and Joleen Wardeh are among nearly 7,000 students across the United States chosen as finalists, including nine additional Fontana Unified seniors. Finalists are considered for early admission and full scholarships from QuestBridge college partners.

Fontana Unified High School Honored for Financial Aid Application Rates

Jurupa Hills High School was celebrated as a statewide winner during the second annual California College Affordability Summit on Nov. 17, recognizing its college-going culture and student support resources. For the second year in a row, Jurupa Hills High School was feted as one of the top 24 schools with the highest financial aid application completion rates in the state. The virtual summit brought together hundreds of educators, city and state officials, and legislators from across the country to highlight the importance of financial aid and its ability to increase college access, enrollment and persistence.