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Fontana Unified School District

  • Fontana Unified Set to Start 2025-26 School Year, Officially Unveil Renamed O’Day Short Elementary

    Fontana Unified will start the 2025-26 school year, welcoming more than 30,000 students back to campus on Wednesday, Aug. 6. The new academic year marks the beginning of a new era for O’Day Short Elementary School – previously known as Randall Pepper Elementary – as it officially opens under its new name in honor of the O’Day Short Family, which is remembered for breaking Fontana’s color barrier 80 years ago.

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  • 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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Two Fontana Unified Schools Add Code to the Future Focus

Fontana Unified’s Dorothy Grant and Chaparral elementary schools have begun the process of becoming Code to the Future schools, which offer immersive computer science curriculum. Both schools will implement the new computer science curriculum in the 2018-19 school year. They will be the only Code to the Future schools in the Inland Empire.

2 Fontana Unified Sisters Advance to State History Day Competition

Follow-up Story: Sisters Leslie and Alyha Madrigal, students at Summit High and Almeria Middle School, earned top honors in the San Bernardino County History Day competition on March 9 and will advance to the state competition in May. Leslie Madrigal earned first place in the senior individual exhibit category for her project titled “The Non-Proliferation Treaty: The Decision to Save the World,” while Alyha Madrigal took first place in the junior individual exhibit category for her project, “The Battle of Antietam: Conflict over the Power of the Nation.”

Fontana Unified’s Kaiser High School Receives $10,000 Theater Grant from NBC

Henry J. Kaiser High School’s theater program was awarded a $10,000 grant from NBC and the Educational Theater Foundation in recognition of the benefit of these programs in school communities. Kaiser is of one of 50 high schools in the country – and just one of five in California – to receive the grant, which will go toward props, costumes, production expenses and other program necessities.

Fontana Unified Workshops Address Community Resources

Fontana Unified School District will hold free Parent University workshops from 9 to 11 a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, highlighting the district’s community partnerships and resources available to FUSD families. The workshops will be at the Piazza Educational Center, 9680 Citrus Ave., Fontana.

Fontana Unified to Host Parent Workshops on Summer Learning

Fontana Unified School District will hold free Parent University workshops from 9 to 11 a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, highlighting tips for helping students avoid the “summer slide” in learning. The workshops will be at the Piazza Educational Center, 9680 Citrus Ave., Fontana. Childcare and translation services will be available.

Fontana Unified, Fontana School Police to Hold Community Safety Forum

Fontana Unified School District and Fontana School Police will hold a Community Safety Forum from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, March 5 at Citrus Elementary, 16041 Randall Ave., Fontana. The forum – open to families and community members – will highlight school safety, address community concerns and discuss ideas to improve public safety in Fontana.

Fontana Unified Students Take Home Gold in SkillsUSA Competition

Follow-up Story: Three Fontana Unified high school students earned gold medals for their career technical education (CTE) expertise during a SkillsUSA Region 6 competition on Jan. 27 and will advance to the state final with 11 other FUSD students, to be held April 19-22 at the Ontario Convention Center. Summit High School students received gold medals for photography and customer service while a Fontana High School student won for introductory woodworking. The performances highlight the progress of the District’s CTE program since it received a three-year $3 million CTE incentive grant from the California Department of Education in 2016.

Fontana Unified to Host Free Family Math Workshops for Parents

Fontana Unified School District will hold Parent University workshops from 9 to 11 a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, providing strategies for math proficiency for the entire family. The workshops will be held at the Piazza Educational Center, 9680 Citrus Ave., Fontana. Childcare services for children ages 3 to 11 will be available, as well as translation services. Call 909-357-7600, ext. 29409 to register or learn more.

Fontana Unified’s Summit High Recognized as an AVID Highly Certified Site

Follow-up Story: Summit High School was named a 2017-18 Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Highly Certified Site for encouraging independent thinkers, increasing the college-going rate to four-year universities and providing students with tools for academic and professional success. In 2016-17, 59 of the 60 seniors enrolled in AVID were accepted to four-year universities. AVID works to narrow the achievement gap between the lowest- and highest-performing students and increase the number who pursue higher education.