Hacienda La Puente Unified School District delivered its 2022 State of the District, held virtually on Jan. 20, with a detailed presentation showcasing the District’s success implementing its 2021-22 theme of “Learning Forward – Building Better.” Due to the recent COVID-19 surge, the scheduled in-person event was replaced by an in-depth video presentation led by Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez and shared on its YouTube channel. The State of the District highlighted student, staff and District successes, facilities and budget updates, expansion of socio-emotional growth systems, and provided an overview on school programs.
William Workman High School celebrated its remodeled media center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 11, unveiling new flooring, paint, updated furniture and audio-visual equipment made possible by a $100,000 donation from Class of 1990 graduate Les Callahan. Modernizations began in November 2021, bringing Callahan’s goal of an enhanced educational space to fruition in early January. The media center now serves as a hub of resources and a safe space for students to study, relax, collaborate, and host club meetings and tutoring sessions during and after school.
Hacienda La Puente Unified Seeks Community Input for By-Trustee Maps
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District will hold two community input meetings on Thursday, Jan. 6 and Tuesday, Jan. 18 to discuss the 2020 Census Evaluation and Trustee Area Boundary Adjustments. Two proposed maps have been shared with the community on the HLPUSD website and will be addressed through a series of in-person and virtual community meetings, public hearings and Board meetings. The Board will select a final map on Thursday, Feb. 10. The approved map will then be presented to the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization for final approval.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District has partnered with Scholastic Inc. to provide free, carefully curated book packs to students before winter break, supporting the District’s inaugural Holiday Reading Campaign beginning Dec. 17. Hacienda La Puente Unified’s new District Librarian, Lesley Jarrett, has played an integral part in the campaign, selecting and distributing the reading material for every HLPUSD student in transitional kindergarten through grade 12. The Holiday Reading Campaign aims to foster a reading culture in the home and promote the skills and knowledge that lead to longtime academic advantages.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District has been named a top employer among veterans in the workforce according to Forbes' 2021 America's Best Employers for Veterans survey, released on Nov. 9. The District ranked among the top 200 companies receiving the highest total scores, from all industry sectors, across the country. In partnership with research and analysis firm Statista, Forbes surveyed more than 5,000 U.S. veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces – either in the active military, National Guard or military reserves.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District’s Board of Education celebrated the completion of several Measure BB-funded classroom modernization projects and approved a new funding strategy to resume construction and planning for the remaining District campuses during the Special Board Meeting on Oct. 21 and continuance meeting on Oct. 26. Modernization projects are divided into nine phases that encompass every school in the District. After completing all projects in phases one and two, the District will further outline the plan for completing the last seven phases.
Hacienda La Puente Unified’s elementary and middle schools have been listed among the top performing public schools in California, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best K-8 Schools rankings. Nine Hacienda La Puente schools ranked in the top 20 percent of schools. Los Molinos Elementary School and Wedgeworth Elementary School rank in the top 5 percent and Mesa Robles Middle School earned a spot in the top 4 percent. The inaugural K-8 rankings are based on student proficiency and performance in mathematics and reading.
Hacienda La Puente Unified students, teachers and staff are benefiting from a number of facility improvements during the 2021-22 school year, which include modernized classrooms, new interior paint, roofing restorations and the installation of solar panels. Many of the upgrades were completed over the summer, ensuring students and employees returned to refreshed classrooms on modernized campuses. Such projects include the installation of solar panel parking lot canopies at Los Altos High School, Workman High School, Wilson High School, La Puente High School, Willow Adult School and the District Office; locker upgrades at La Puente High School; new interior paint at Valley High School and Orange Grove Middle School; roofing restorations at Newton Middle School and Workman Elementary School; and the installation of new ceiling tiles and lighting at Sunset Elementary School.
Hacienda La Puente Unified has named Manoj Roychowdhury as its new Associate Superintendent of Business Services. Roychowdhury brings more than 20 years of fiscal leadership experience in K-12 education to the District, with a proven track record of strong business and financial acumen, overseeing implementation of academic programs and initiatives to boost student achievement at school districts throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. Roychowdhury will provide districtwide leadership and assume oversight of administration services, focusing on District budget, services, and facilities.
