Fontana Unified School District once again set a benchmark as 33 of its schools received California Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coalition Awards for their dedication to fostering inclusive, supportive school environments that promote student success during the 2024-25 school year. This is the fifth consecutive year Fontana Unified has increased the number of schools recognized, highlighting the District’s ongoing commitment to building social-emotional skills and providing educators with strategies to enhance student outcomes. All 33 schools will be recognized at the 2025 California PBIS Coalition Conference, held Oct. 8-10 in Sacramento.
For the first time, Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) will host the annual Regional College and Career Fair on a District campus Jurupa Hills High School. Presented in partnership with Chaffey Joint Union High School District (CJUHSD), the fair will serve as a one-stop shop where thousands of K-12 students and families can connect with more than 70 colleges, universities, and employers to explore post-graduation pathways. The Regional College and Career Fair is part of Fontana Unified’s ongoing commitment to boosting college and career readiness by removing barriers and increasing access to information and financial support.
Fontana High School’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (MCJROTC) program has once again been recognized for its excellence in community service, leadership, and academics, earning a Naval Honor School designation for the sixth straight year and the 19th time in its 33-year history. The Naval Honor School distinction, awarded annually by the U.S. Marine Corps Training and Education Command, evaluates more than 250 MCJROTC units nationwide. This year, Fontana High (FOHI) stood out despite new, more rigorous standards. Placed in the newly created “mega” category against some of the nation’s largest and most competitive programs, FOHI earned the honor for its academic achievement, leadership development, success in national competitions, and commitment to community service.
Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) is continuing the demolition of Fontana Middle School’s L Building — part of a larger campus modernization project funded by Measure C — with safety protocols in place to protect students, staff, and the community. Demolition of Fontana Middle School’s L Building began in June as part of a project to replace the structure with a new two-story building relocated to another part of campus. All abatement processes were completed in December 2024 under the supervision of certified specialists, and the District has followed all state regulations and safety protocols to ensure proper handling of materials throughout the process.
Colorful signs, lively music, and cheerful staff welcomed back more than 30,000 Fontana Unified School District students, who greeted each other with smiles, hugs, or fist bumps, for the first day of the 2025-26 school year on Aug. 6. The first day of the new academic year marks a new chapter for all 44 Fontana Unified schools – many of which have earned recognition, including California Schools to Watch, California Distinguished Schools, and California Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coalition Awards, among other honors.
Less than 24 hours before the start of the 2025-26 school year, Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) celebrated the renaming of O’Day Short Elementary School on Aug. 5, honoring the courageous legacy of the Short family, who inspired the renaming of the school after breaking Fontana’s color barrier at the school site nearly 80 years ago. Fontana Unified hosted the official renaming ceremony for O’Day Short Elementary – previously named Randall Pepper Elementary School – at the school’s campus, drawing a standing-room-only crowd of school and District staff, students, residents, elected officials, and two living relatives of the Short family.
Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) is heading into the 2025-26 school year with 12 new administrative appointments, including five interim appointments, as part of a strategic reorganization designed to optimize leadership assignments within the District. Two Fontana Unified administrators took on new roles within the reorganization at the District level, with former school principals Christopher Hollister, Ed.D., and Patricia Corral, Ed.D., named Executive Director of Secondary Education and Interim Executive Director of Classified Human Resources, respectively.
A school year filled with prestigious recognitions continued for Wayne Ruble Middle School math and computer science teacher Zahra Razi, who recently earned two national honors for creating transformational learning environments and enriching students’ understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Razi was named one of the International Society for Technology in Education and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ISTE+ASCD) 20 to Watch Award recipients, making her one of just 20 early-career educators worldwide recognized for innovation and impact. She was also selected as a Generation AI Luminary, one of 10 educators nationwide honored for advancing AI-powered instruction and ethical technology use. Razi is the only educator in the country to be selected for both awards this year.
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.
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.
