fbpx

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.

    Read More

  • 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.

    Read More

  • 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.

    Read More

Fontana Unified Student Named AVID Write-Off Essay Contest Winner

As an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) student, A.B. Miller senior Maritza Padilla understands that she and her classmates greatly benefit from increased access to resources that establish a pathway to higher education. Padilla was recently selected as a regional 2019 AVID Write-Off essay contest award winner. Writing on the topic of free college tuition, Padilla was honored at the 20th annual AVID Write-Off awards ceremony, held March 21 at the California Theater of Performing Arts in San Bernardino.

Fontana Unified High News Broadcast Earns Top Marks at Film Festival

A.B. Miller High School’s Rebel News won first place in the news broadcast category – as well as an audience favorite award – at the New Optics Film Festival on March 16, highlighting the strength of the school’s television production program. A panel of industry professionals judged and awarded the top three videos, submitted by high school students, in five categories.

Fontana Unified Students to Compete at State History Day Contest

Summit High School students Leslie Madrigal and Brian Garay and Almeria Middle School student Alyha Madrigal are heading to the History Day California competition, Friday, May 10 to Sunday, May 12, after taking first place in the senior group exhibit and junior individual exhibit categories, respectively, at San Bernardino County History Day.

Fontana Unified to Educate Parents, Families on LCAP

Fontana Unified will offer its sixth Parent University workshop of the year, continuing its efforts to boost family engagement in the educational process. The free sessions will provide parents with insights into the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 26 at the John D. Piazza Center, 9680 Citrus Ave. Translation services will be available.

Fontana Unified to Host Dolores Huerta for 89th Birthday Celebration

Dolores Huerta International Academy (DHIA), in partnership with California Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes, will host civil rights leader Dolores Huerta for her 89th birthday celebration at 10 a.m. Monday, April 15. DHIA, Fontana Unified’s state-of-the-art Spanish dual-language magnet school, was named after Huerta to honor her activism on behalf of farmworkers, immigrants and women. The academy is at 17777 Merrill Ave., Fontana.

Fontana Unified Middle Schools Named 2019 Schools to Watch

Southridge and Wayne Ruble middle schools are among 16 newly designated schools in the state to join the 2019 California Schools to Watch List, recognized for bridging the technology gap, boosting student achievement and improving campus culture.

Fontana Unified School Named National AVID Demonstration School

Sequoia Middle School was named an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) National Demonstration School on Feb. 28 and will serve as a model for other schools and districts implementing AVID across the nation. AVID narrows the achievement gap between the lowest- and highest-performing students and encourages more students enroll in four-year colleges.

Fontana Unified Middle Schools Honored as 2019 Schools to Watch

Southridge and Wayne Ruble middle schools are among 16 newly designated schools in the state to join the 2019 California Schools to Watch List, recognized for bridging the technology gap, boosting student achievement and improving campus culture. The Schools to Watch list, created by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, identifies schools across the U.S. that share three features: academic excellence, developmentally responsive to early adolescence and social equity.

Fontana Unified Elementary Schools Receive Grants to Expand After School Programs

Two Fontana Unified elementary schools will receive combined grants totaling more than $100,000 to expand after-school programs that increase access to computer coding classes and enhance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum. Oleander and North Tamarind elementary schools will receive $65,000 and $50,000 in grants, respectively, from the California Department of Education’s (CDE) After School Education and Safety (ASES) Kids Code pilot program.