Fontana Unified School District’s (FUSD) Southridge Tech and Wayne Ruble middle schools have been honored as 2025 California Schools to Watch, recognizing them as model schools dedicated to supporting the whole child. Fontana Unified accounted for two of the 90 middle schools across the state to be named to the California League of Middle Schools’ 2025 list of California Schools to Watch. These schools are recognized for their commitment to academic excellence, social equity, developmental responsiveness, and innovative systems.
Two Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) administrators, Michele Mower and Yubleni Cazares, will be honored by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 12 for their achievements and dedication to public education. Mower, Beech Avenue Elementary School’s principal, has been named the ASCA Region 12 Elementary Principal of the Year. Cazares, FUSD’s Expanded Learning Programs manager, has been named Classified Leader of the Year by a selection committee. ACSA Region 12 serves the educational administrators of San Bernardino County and holds an annual awards program to honor students, administrators, and community organizations for excellence in public education.
Elementary, middle, and high school students across Fontana Unified School District made history as they performed in one of the first student, theatrical productions of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child High School Edition” in the A.B. Miller High School and District Theater Conservatory. With wands at the ready, 39 students from Canyon Crest Elementary, Wayne Ruble and Southridge Tech middle schools, and A.B. Miller High School took the stage for eight performances of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” at the historic California Theatre of the Performing Arts between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2. A.B. Miller High School and Fontana Unified’s professionally produced show, supported by the Theatrical Arts International Foundation, gave students the opportunity to perform in a high-caliber production and brought the magic of the wizarding world to life. As part of the District’s career and technical education programming, FUSD’s Theater Conservatory gives students a taste of life on a professional stage, helping them build their portfolios and take their first steps toward a career in the performing arts.
Fontana Unified’s Beech Avenue Elementary School has earned national recognition from the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) for its effective implementation of the Teaching for Effective Learning (TEL) program, highlighting the school’s success in enhancing teaching practices and fostering collaboration among educators to advance student academic growth. Principal Michele Mower launched TEL, a research-based program that equips teachers with tools and strategies rooted in the science of learning, at Beech Avenue Elementary in 2021 to help mitigate learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and bridge achievement gaps, with positive impacts found among all student groups.
Students in Fontana High School’s (FOHI) Bio-Animatronic and Neuroprosthetic career technical education (CTE) pathway earned special recognition in the International Technology and Engineering Educators’ (ITEEA) REACH Challenge for their work designing adaptive and assistive living devices. The REACH Challenge is a national competition where students create innovative technological solutions to improve people’s lives in their community. This year, four teams of FOHI students earned special recognition for their REACH Challenge projects. The honor comes with a REACH banner and discounted registration for the 2025 ITEEA Conference on April 2-5, 2025 in St. Louis.
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.
