Lynwood High School girls’ basketball head coach Ellis Barfield was honored with the Humanitarian Excellence Award by the Lynwood Alumni Foundation earlier this spring, recognizing three decades of leadership that have shaped one of the region’s most accomplished athletic programs. Under Barfield’s guidance, the highly competitive program has earned more than 700 wins and 30 consecutive league championships. These milestones place Lynwood High among the most consistent high school basketball programs in the region – but for Barfield, the accolades have never been the goal. Instead, he said they reflect a decades-long commitment to mentorship through creating opportunities for student-athletes to succeed beyond the court.
Lynwood High School senior Isaias Perez Magana has been selected as a 2026 Posse Foundation Scholar, earning a full-tuition scholarship to attend Middlebury University in Vermont in fall 2026 and continuing a family legacy that began more than a decade ago. Magana’s aunt, Lynwood High graduate Evelyn Salinas, received a Posse Scholarship in 2015 and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Now a solutions engineer in the tech and services industry, Salinas nominated Magana for the prestigious scholarship and encouraged both him and his brother Isaac – a 2025 Posse finalist – to pursue the same opportunity.
Lynwood Unified School District has been named one of 12 school districts in the nation to receive the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) K–12 Student Agency Award, a national recognition honoring districts leading thoughtful, ethical and student-centered approaches to AI in education. The award was presented at the Student and Community Voice AI Summit, held in March in Anaheim, where educators, students and school leaders from across the country gathered to discuss the future of AI in schools.
At age five, Agustin Ramon and his family left Mexico and arrived in the United States, leaving all they knew for a chance at a better life while navigating a language barrier that proved to be a daily struggle. Ramon, now a Lynwood High School senior, overcame those early challenges with the support of his family and the Lynwood Unified community, building confidence in the classroom and setting his sights on a future in the tech industry. His resilience and academic achievements were recognized on March 20, when he was named an Edison Scholar and awarded a $50,000 scholarship.
In their first-ever appearance on the USA Dance Nationals stage, students in Lynwood High School’s Dance Career Technical Education pathway earned a second-place finish on March 15, beating out some of the top dance teams in the country. Their lyrical routine, “Medicine,” and jazz routine, “Working Girl,” both of which qualified them for nationals, took seven months to choreograph and perfect by 17 dance ensemble students, program lead and Lynwood High alumna Brittany Washington and instructors. Ultimately, their lyrical routine secured their podium finish.
The Edison Scholars program annually awards 30 high school seniors with scholarships supporting studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Students selected for this prestigious scholarship demonstrate academic excellence, leadership and a commitment to using STEM to create meaningful impact in their communities.
Cesar Chavez Middle School students celebrated the 150th anniversary of the first telephone call by receiving 150 free refurbished laptops through a partnership between Lynwood Unified, LevelUp, Think Together and AT&T on March 3. The laptops were provided to students participating in the LevelUp expanded learning program in partnership with Think Together, helping ensure they have the technology needed to continue learning at home. Cesar Chavez eighth-grader Joseph Rodriguez said participating in Think Together has helped him improve academically while building important social and communication skills.
Hundreds of Lynwood Unified sixth-graders across 12 District elementary schools gained a firsthand look at future career opportunities during the annual Middle School Elective Showcase on March 3. The event introduced students to hands-on Career Technical Education (CTE) and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) programs offered at Hosler and Cesar Chavez middle schools. Middle school students led interactive demonstrations that brought electives to life. At a forensics station, Cesar Chavez seventh-grader Kaleh Barron guided students through fingerprinting techniques, brushing black powder to reveal prints and using tape to lift them. She also highlighted a profession featured in the school’s Career Explorer elective, which introduces students to a variety of professional pathways.
Marco Antonio Firebaugh High School students are putting the pedal to the metal through the new Bike Tech Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathway and Ride Club, opening a space for the school’s vibrant bicycle and eco-green culture to come alive and gather student enthusiasts for bike rides throughout Southern California. The pathway, which debuted at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, engages students through hands-on learning and prepares them for a growing workforce demand in eco-mobility and sustainable transportation.
Lynwood Unified School District’s emerging robotics program was on full display as student teams from Lynwood and Firebaugh high schools competed against schools from across the region at the District’s first-ever VEX V5 “Push Back” robotics tournament on Jan. 27. Dubbed the Knight City Challenge, the event reflects Lynwood Unified’s continued efforts to bolster STEM education by expanding hands-on, project-based learning opportunities that prepare students for college and future careers in engineering and technology.
