Category: Education

The Rialto Unified School District Board of Education welcomed its newest member and celebrated the reelection of two dedicated education leaders during its December 2024 meeting. The ceremony included the swearing-in of Board Members Dr. Stephanie Lewis, Joseph Martinez, and Dakira Williams followed by the reorganization of Board leadership roles. Dr. Lewis was elected President, Martinez was elected Vice President, and Edgar Montes was elected Clerk. All five trustees participated in the reorganization. Williams joins the Board as its newly elected member. Williams defeated three candidates, Mirna Ruiz, Scott Sparks, and Incumbent Nancy G. O’Kelley, who withdrew her name from the school board race and endorsed Sparks but was still listed on the ballot due to not meeting the deadline for withdrawing her name. Williams will now represent Area One. She is a parent advocate, a business owner, and a community leader with a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business and Marketing from Howard University. With extensive experience in the defense and aerospace industry and specialized training in mediation, project management, and Six Sigma, Williams states that she will bring a fresh perspective to

The Colton Joint Unified School District Board of Education held its annual reorganizational meeting Thursday, choosing its officers for the coming year and swearing in three newly reelected members. The board chooses new officers every year at its December meeting. For 2025, trustee Dan Flores will serve as Board President, Bertha Flores will serve as Vice President and Israel Fuentes will serve as board Clerk. Dan Flores represents Trustee Area 2, which includes most of Colton and parts of San Bernardino and Loma Linda. Bertha Flores represents Trustee Area 3, which includes Grand Terrace and the La Loma Hills portion of Colton. Fuentes represents Area 1, which includes Bloomington, part of Rialto and a portion of southeastern Fontana Trustees Patt Haro (Trustee Area 1), Frank Ibarra (Trustee Area 2) and Bertha Flores (Trustee Area 3) took their oaths of office at the beginning of the meeting. All three were reelected last month to serve another four-year term. The remaining Board Members are Berenice Sandoval (Area 2) and Joanne E. Thoring-Ojeda (Area 3) who, along with Flores and Fuentes, will be up for reelection in 2026.

The Rialto Unified School District (RUSD) has approved an expansion of Never Stop Grinding (NSG) Impact’s innovative social-emotional learning and boxing program to four additional schools. With three campuses already participating, the program will now reach students at Jehue, Kolb, Kucera, Frisbee, and Rialto Middle Schools, offering weekly sessions starting Jan. 8, 2025, through at-least May 19, 2025. The district’s Dec. 18 approval builds on the program’s success in fostering self-awareness, social skills, and resilience among students while addressing the persistent issue of bullying. The expansion comes amid heightened awareness of bullying’s consequences following a stabbing incident in October 2024 at Frisbie Middle School, where a student defending a peer was hospitalized. NSG Impact CEO Darious Harris, a Rialto native and former professional boxer, underscored the program’s mission to provide students with tools to navigate challenges both at school and in life. “It’s a pleasure to come back and make a difference in the district I grew up in. Kucera is a school I attended, and it’s important to bring awareness to bullying—especially now,” Harris said. Addressing Emotional Needs and Building Resilience The NSG Impact

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is championing Senate Bill 48, a legislative effort to shield California schools from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity. Introduced by Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez (D-33) on Monday, Dec. 16, the bill proposes a one-mile safe zone around schools and stricter safeguards against using school data for deportation efforts. The bill underscores the reality that 93% of children with at least one undocumented parent in California are U.S. citizens. Advocates emphasize the state’s legal obligation to provide all children with free and appropriate public education, regardless of immigration status. SB 48 builds on California’s commitment to fostering equity and inclusion, aiming to prevent a resurgence of chronic absenteeism observed during the pandemic. “SB 48 seeks to push back against threats of deportation that create fear in immigrant families. These practices suppress school attendance and rob schools of needed revenue,” Thurmond said. “I am honored to partner with bill author Senator Lena Gonzalez, other legislators, and immigrant rights groups to support our families and keep ICE off our school campuses—period.” Under the bill, school districts, charter schools

Sarah Hernandez, an eighth-grade science and Esports teacher at Ben F. Kolb Middle School, was recently celebrated as one of 12 finalists for the 2024-2025 “Educator of the Year” award by the California League of Middle Schools (CLMS) Region 10.  The prestigious recognition honors outstanding educators from Inyo, Mono, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. The ceremony was held on December 9 at the Marriott Riverside and celebrated the dedication and achievements of outstanding educators in the region. Each educator walked the red carpet as they arrived and received a gift basket for their commitment to excellence in education. Throughout the evening their principals shared heartfelt tributes to each honoree, followed by a video highlighting each teacher’s inspiring work in education. Hernandez stated that earning the award is a meaningful milestone in her career: “This award validates the hard work I’ve invested in becoming a better educator for my students. It also reminds me of the incredible support I have from my colleagues at Kolb Middle School. This motivates me to continue growing as an educator so I can help my students become better versions of

Fontana Unified School District will modernize Fontana Middle School’s nearly century-old campus with a phased construction project that aims to enhance campus safety by demolishing and replacing the school’s two-story L Building.   Fontana Middle School’s L Building has been closed for the entire 2024-25 school year after being deemed unusable due to the presence of hazardous materials in May 2024. The first half of the school’s revitalization will begin with the removal of hazardous materials from the L Building during the District’s 2024-25 winter break. Demolition of the building will start during the 2025 spring break before its completion in summer 2025, along with enhancements to the school’s entrance.  “While the building holds cherished memories for our school community, it no longer meets today’s educational requirements, the Americans with Disabilities Act law, and has experienced significant wear and tear,” Superintendent Miki R. Inbody said. “For the safety of our students, staff, and community, we have made the decision to remove the building and proceed with the construction of a new two-story facility.” Fontana Middle School is the oldest school still in use in Fontana Unified

Alder Middle School sixth-grader Xavi Hernandez felt like he was soaring through the air as he sat in a state-of-the-art cockpit simulator inside a mobile 36-foot flight simulator lab located in the middle of his campus.  “It was awesome, really cool and fun to experience,” said Hernandez, who added that he is considering pursuing a career as a pilot. “I liked just flying over the city, I was just taking it all in.” It was part of Fontana Unified School District’s (FUSD) Career Technical Education (CTE) partnership with NextUp Aviation, which brought the world of aviation directly to Alder Middle School students on Nov. 21. The event was designed to help students explore and foster an early interest in diverse career pathways within the aviation and aerospace industry.   Students engaged with flight simulators, interactive booths, and industry leaders from UPS, FedEx, and American Airlines, highlighting career pathways in piloting, drone operation, air traffic control, mechanics, and more throughout the event. NextUp Aviation works to prepare students from all backgrounds for careers in aviation by offering accessible education and training across a variety of fields. “We

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond met with members of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation today to discuss strategies to block efforts to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. Federal education funds provide $7.9 billion annually to support California’s public schools, including critical programs that support low-income students, students with disabilities, and other underserved populations. Approximately 20 members of the U.S. Congress attended Wednesday’s meeting with Superintendent Thurmond, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation. During the meeting, delegation members reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to protecting public education and ensuring federal funding remains intact for California’s students. “Eliminating the U.S. Department of Education would have devastating consequences for public education, especially for students with disabilities and families in low-income communities,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “The stakes couldn’t be higher. Every student deserves access to a quality education. It’s our collective responsibility to ensure the protections and resources guaranteed by federal law remain in place. I urge everyone to join this fight and make their voices heard.” Superintendent Thurmond intends to lead a national