Category: Education

Academic success is soaring at Carter High School as the Lions roared into honoring its top academic scholars. Wilmer Amina Carter High School recently celebrated its highest-achieving students at the Distinguished Scholars Celebration, where Arick Collander was named Valedictorian and Tito Duran Villegas was recognized as Salutatorian for the Class of 2025. The two exceptional students were among 52 seniors honored at the event, held on March 19 in the Carter High School multipurpose room. The celebration highlighted students who have maintained a 4.0 GPA or higher throughout high school. Principal Dr. Adam Bailey and Carter High School staff along with Dr. Manuel Burciaga, Rialto Unified School District’s Lead Academic Agent of Secondary Innovation, and Dr. Robin McMillon, RUSD Lead Student Services Agent who previously served as the Carter High School Principal, recognized the scholars’ dedication and hard work with graduation just months away. Collander, who holds an outstanding 4.88 GPA, transferred to Carter High School as a sophomore and has excelled in academics. He has passed 10 Advanced Placement (AP) exams, earning eight perfect scores of 5. He also participated in the California State

“On March 24, 2025, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against either child in the incident that occurred on March 10, 2025, at Jehue Middle School. Confidentiality laws prohibit our Office from discussing details of the matter. An incomplete portion of the incident was captured on video that was released to the public. Upon review of the entire investigation and facts of the case, our Office declined to file any charges against anyone involved in the incident. Unfortunately, disinformation that either child had been charged with a crime was inaccurate. In these types of instances, juveniles can only be cited. Only then is the case referred for prosecution. Although not a factor in our filing decisions, no party involved in the incident or their families desired prosecution. Additionally, filing decisions will never be swayed by protest, press conferences and media statements that rely upon disinformation, hyperbole and agendas. This was an anomaly. My expectation is that both children can move on from this and will not be defined by the conduct. I am confident that the school district will continue

Rialto Unified School District’s Dwight D. Eisenhower High School has a rich history celebrating academic excellence with the announcement of its top scholars for the Class of 2025. In a surprise ceremony, the school revealed that Ivan Manzo has been named Valedictorian, while JT Huour and Aidan Keo have earned the title of Salutatorians — a testament to their dedication, perseverance, and outstanding academic achievements. The top three students of the RUSD’s flagship high school were formally recognized in a surprise ceremony at Eisenhower High School’s Career Center on March 6, where RUSD Interim Superintendent Dr. Judy White, Eisenhower High Principal Kristal Henriquez Pulido, school leaders, counselors, and RUSD Education Services representatives — alongside the students’ families — gathered to deliver the good news and celebrate their achievements. With an impressive 4.7 GPA, Valedictorian Ivan Manzo has made history as both the top student in his class and the Rialto Unified School District’s 2024-2025 Student Board Member, a prestigious role rarely held by a valedictorian. Beyond representing student voices at the District level, Manzo has excelled in his studies and leadership. He has applied to

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is sponsoring legislation, Senate Bill (SB) 502, introduced by State Senator Jesse Arreguín (D-07), to help local educational agencies (LEAs) across California address the housing affordability crisis by providing critical funding to support the development of housing for educators and school employees. Superintendent Thurmond was joined by Senator Arreguín, California Federation of Teachers (CFT) Legislative Representative Mitch Steiger, and West Contra Costa Unified School District Board President Leslie Reckler at a press conference today to provide more details about SB 502. “Ensuring affordable housing for educators and school staff is essential to stabilizing California’s school communities,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “The evidence has shown that educator workforce housing can reduce and even eliminate staffing shortages in our schools. When educators and school staff can live where they work, whole school communities thrive.” “Housing affordability and the high cost of living make it difficult to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers in our state,” said Senator Arreguín. “With SB 502, we can help school districts get homes built to keep our educators in the communities they serve, benefiting the educational

On Monday, March 10, two unidentified students of color, one male and one female, both 14-years-old, fought inside a classroom at Jehue Middle School. Both individuals involved in the incident have been issued citations, but community groups demand the female’s charges be dropped, arguing that she is the victim.  According to an official statement released by the Colton Police Department, the investigation is ongoing, specifying that “The case will be forwarded to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, Juvenile Division, for review.” While the Rialto Unified School District (RUSD) will work with Colton PD throughout the investigation, Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes said in an official statement posted to her Instagram account that “it is critical to ensure that school staff are present and properly trained to intervene effectively in violent situations, particularly those that have the potential to be racially motivated.” According to sources, the teacher present was a substitute teacher. Their identity has not been released.  RUSD spokeswoman Syeda Jafri echoed Reyes’ concerns, citing violence and racial slurs, in an official statement. “The District does not condone the violent actions of the students

The Rialto Unified School District (RUSD) Board of Education voted to appoint Dr. Judy White, a retired Riverside County superintendent, as its interim superintendent, marking the latest shift in the district’s ongoing leadership overhaul. In a contentious 3-2 vote on Thursday, Feb. 27, board members Dr. Stephanie E. Lewis, Joseph Martinez, and Dakira Williams backed White’s appointment, while Edgar Montes and Evelyn Dominguez opposed it. White will replace Dr. Edward D’Souza, who had been serving in the interim role following the administrative leave and subsequent firing of Superintendent Cuauhtemoc Avila. White’s appointment comes as the district navigates a period of uncertainty, with leadership disputes and legal threats. Avila, who served as superintendent for nine years, was placed on leave in May 2024. Last week, the board voted unanimously to terminate his contract following allegations of sexual harassment made by Patricia Chavez, a district employee. White brings decades of educational leadership to the position. She was the first Black and first female superintendent of Riverside County, serving from 2017 until her retirement in 2020. Under her leadership, Riverside County achieved a graduation rate exceeding 90%—a first

John Solomon, a lifelong tutor and educator known for his passion and dedication, was presented with the Key to the District award in a standing-room-only crowd at Wednesday’s board meeting. The ceremony preceded presentations on the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) mid-year report and district assessments.  Solomon, a California native born in Los Angeles and raised in Duarte, studied accounting at the University of Houston in Texas after graduating from Duarte High School, where he earned a “four-sport scholarship in track and field.” Involved in leadership organizations as a member of the Delta Psi Phi business fraternity and former president of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), Solomon expected much of himself, his students and, especially, their parents.  “Inspired by Marva Collins, a pioneer in education, who founded the West Side prep school of Chicago to serve underserved African American youth,” said Board of Education President Dr. Stephanie E. Lewis, “he believed that for students to succeed, parents had to be actively engaged in their learning. Parents were not allowed to simply drop off their children . . . They had to stay