| Excitement for More | .png) | 10/31/2025 7:00:00 AM |
O n
a warm October morning, Rubidoux High students were focused on the future. Seniors worked on college applications and attended financial aid workshops. Later, students from all grade levels attended a lunchtime College and Career Fair.
Similar exciting activities took place across Jurupa Unified in celebration of College and Career Kickoff Month. Through a variety of hands-on activities, students of all ages begin to take charge of their futures.
High school students worked with guidance counselors from across the district to take steps toward realizing their college dreams. Students worked on financial aid forms, University of California, and California State University applications.
“It's important to have these workshops integrated into the school day so students have access to people who are knowledgeable about the applications, and that they’re comfortable asking questions,” said Rosio Merino, Rubidoux High School College and Career Counselor.
“College and career activities at schools provide students the opportunity to explore their options and receive the hands-on support that our students need in the safety of their classes,” said Jenna Saugstad, Coordinator of Career Technical Education.
Elementary schools hosted career day presentations, middle school students signed a banner committing to pursue college or career, and high school students participated in various financial aid and college application workshops throughout the month.
“Our elementary and secondary education departments work in tandem to create ways for students to find their niche and focus to align themselves… so we can guide students towards the future,” Ms. Saugstad said
Every year, College and Career Center staff visit each other's high schools together to host financial aid and college application workshops.
“ A lot of our students might not know that they have the option to go to college, and we want to make sure that everyone is prepared to go to college or pursue career technical education,” said Daniela Luchembe, Jurupa Valley High School Counselor. “It’s important that we do this push so that students know that we are supporting them and that they can do whatever they set their minds to.”
“We recognize that there are mixed messages about how much aid is out there and (we are) helping students out and giving them the right information and helping them claim free money,” said James Marnell, Patriot High School College and Career Counselor.
Seniors aren’t the only ones who are gaining from College and Career Kickoff.
“It’s a learning experience for the other students to look forward to joining seniors in the excitement of life after school,” said Jennifer Green, Patriot High School Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction. “This is a model for the rest of the school.”
Rubidoux High School students also visited Mission Middle School students as part of the College and Career Kickoff celebrations.
Rubidoux students shared their personal experiences and information about the different Career Technical Education programs, extracurricular activities, and sports available to Mission Middle students when they promote to high school.
“By presenting these opportunities, we can give them that spark that they have been looking for,” said Brittany Serrano, a Rubidoux High School junior.
Brittany and her video production classmates shared how exciting the class is, how it prepares them for a career in the video industry, and projected a video they made.
Viviana Aceves-Cervantez, a Rubidoux High senior, spoke about the State Seal of Civic Engagement. She shared her experience with the project, the value behind community service, and encouraged students to participate when they can.
“It’s our job to prepare (middle school students) and be there to give them pointers about how life is going to be,” said Viviana. “It’s important that we are pushing this (College and Career Kickoff) initiative because the whole point of school is to prepare us for the outside world.” | | |
| Engage and Empower |  | 10/28/2025 7:00:00 AM |
Parents from various schools within the Jurupa Unified School District and community members settle into class, seated in chairs arranged in a circle to promote open communication and participation. Some know each other and their teacher, and others are attending for the first time. They are participating in a district-wide program, Parent University.
“Parent University is a six-week series of classes for our families and our community that focuses on different parenting strategies.” Teacher on Special Assignment Courtney Siegel said.
Community School Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs) are facilitating the Parent University classes at Glen Avon, Mission Bell, and the Parent Involvement and Community Outreach (P.I.C.O.) department.
Elementary courses offer various strategies, including setting boundaries, establishing rules at home, creating schedules, and engaging as an active participant in the school community. Additional courses offer college information to secondary students and their families.
“Family engagement is so important because when we’re including families in the academic process and in the teaching process… and giving them strategies to work with their children at home, it bridges the gap between home and school, and that’s one of our focuses as community schools,” Ms. Siegel said.
Jose Campos, Director of P.I.C.O., emphasized the impact that parents and families can have on their child’s education by getting involved and partnering with P.I.C.O.
“Pare nt University is a huge focus of our department. Research shows that students that are more engaged do better academically and socially… when parents are more involved. Children, their children, our children, do better academically and socially.” Mr. Campos said.
Dr. Shayna Golbaf, Coordinator of Pupil Services and Community Schools, shared how valuable the Parent University course can be.
“It’s beyond just getting parents to show up to our kindergarten performances; it's also getting them to feel as though they are the teachers. At home, they are their (students’) first teachers, but also at school, how can they engage? What does it look like to volunteer and be that positive mentor here on campus?” Dr. Golbaf said.
One of the lessons includes parents serving as co-facilitators and volunteers. Teachers share information about how parents and community members can get cleared to become volunteers, be a part of a parent panel, or join partner programs such as Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) and Helping Hands, a parent volunteer opportunity.
“One of the visions that I love about Jurupa is, although we have 18 community schools... we have 26 schools in our district, we’re all one community; and that's a big part of our district’s vision of providing these opportunities for all of our families.” Dr. Golbaf said.
This course is made possible by a Community Schools Grant provided by the state of California. Parents Maria Avila and Irene Ortega are among the first cohort of Parent University students at Glen Avon Elementary School.
“I just want to learn more. If there’s anything that I can help my daughter with, then I’m here to learn it,” Ms. Avila said.
“Showing the example of getting involved in the community and being part of something shows them (the children) to also grow up as strong individuals and do the same,” Ms. Ortega said.
A separate Parent University class was hosted by P.I.C.O. in the Jurupa Unified Board Room, focusing on the college admissions process.
Each session was led by collegiate partners such as the Riverside Community College, University of California, Riverside, Cal State San Bernardino, and the University of Redlands.
“My main focus will be guiding them towards meeting admissions requirements for first-year admissions, but I’m also going to touch on those transfer requirements in case they want to take a different route,” said Maria Flores, Senior Evaluation and Athletic Specialist at the University of California, Riverside.
Fernando Martinez, father of a Patriot High School junior, attended this class because he wants to ensure his son has the resources needed to attend college.
“The school district is trying to help the community. I think that’s what it's all about,” Mr. Martinez said. | | |
| Forging Ahead |  | 9/30/2025 7:00:00 AM |
Jurupa Unified continues to make significant progress in districtwide modernizations and updates, providing an innovative learning environment for students.
“If you’re a parent in the community, it’s fantastic to see your students arriving to these updated, safe, clean, and modernized sites,” said Robin Griffin, Director of Planning and Development. “For the surrounding community, even in the neighborhood, it’s really nice to live amongst a modernized school.”
Troth Street Elementary School and Jurupa Middle School
This year’s Troth Street Elementary transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students are the first group of students to enjoy a full school year in the newly-built kindergarten classroom wing.
The Troth Street project is nearly complete with the final phase of the school-wide modernization expected to be finished early next year.
In addition to the new office building, multipurpose room, and learning village that were completed last year, the school community is receiving full modernizations of its classroom wings, playgrounds, track and field, an outdoor lunch shelter, and a new library.
After three years, the Jurupa Middle School modernization project is substantially complete with minor additional touches needed. Students and staff now enjoy a new office and classroom building, improved parking lots, modernized permanent classrooms, and updated landscape and outdoor features.
Modernizations at Troth Street and Jurupa Middle School were made possible by Measure EE, a local bond passed by the Jurupa Valley and Eastvale community in 2014, and state school facility matching funds. These modernizations are the last projects under Measure EE .
The improvements, “greatly enhance the educational experience and daily experience of our students,” said Ms. Griffin.
The cost of Troth Street Elementary School construction will total approximately $33 million, and Jurupa Middle School’s construction will total approximately $30 million.
Pedley Elementary School
Construction of new transitional kindergarten/kindergarten classrooms also started at Pedley Elementary in June and is expected to be completed in early 2027.
The estimated $15 million construction project was funded by California’s Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten (TK), and Full-Day Kindergarten Facilities Grant Program and state facility matching funds. The highly competitive grant allows school districts to offer and facilitate full-day TK/K programs like Jurupa Unified offers, Ms. Griffin said.
The project will provide seven new TK/kindergarten classrooms equipped with features typical of early childhood learning environments, and a new TK/kindergarten outdoor playground area. Pedley currently has only two classrooms built for a TK/ kindergarten program.
Districtwide Security Upgrades
Over the summer, various security improvements were installed or completed.
Security upgrades include
Full installation of districtwide exterior cameras Installation of BluePoint Rapid Emergency Response System -- pull stations designed to improve response times in the event of a police or medical emergency
“We are always looking to improve the security and safety of all our school sites,” Ms. Griffin said.
Measure V
The Jurupa Valley community voted to pass Measure V, the local bond in the November 2024 election, which allows Jurupa Unified to continue making facility improvements to school sites.
“(There’s) even more opportunities now to keep the momentum going and continue the school improvements throughout our school district,” said Ms. Griffin. “We are very excited to bring that to the community.”
JUSD uses the 2020 Facility Long-Range Facilities Master Plan as a planning tool to execute future modernization and school improvement projects.
“We have all those plans and needs presented for the community to see – completed in conjunction with parents, students, and surrounding community and staff input.” Ms. Griffin said.
The Measure V Citizens’ Oversight Committee reviews the district’s bond expenditures to ensure the district is spending bond dollars as promised and specified to the community.
“That helped us develop educational specifications and standards so we know what the community has said they would like to see at our school sites. We bring all of that (input) into the school improvements that we do.” Ms. Griffin said. | | |
| Choosing Attendance |  | 9/26/2025 7:00:00 AM | L owrider car shows, attendance dance parties, and staff versus student basketball games were a few of the events schools hosted to celebrate good attendance in September.
September is recognized as Attendance Awareness Month, and in Jurupa Unified, September 8th - 12th is celebrated as Attendance Spirit Week.
“We want to bring attendance to the forefront with our families to let them know how important it is to be at school every day... not only academically, but also for (students') mental well-being,” said Victoria Jobe, Coordinator of Pupil Services.
Attendance matters because “we need our students to be in their classrooms learning all the standards and what they need to be able to move on to the next grade and to graduate from high school and pursue a higher education,” said Ms. Jobe.
This summer, Sunnyslope Elementary, Peralta Elementary, Van Buren Elementary, Mission Middle School, and Patriot High School received attendance awards for their efforts in decreasing chronic absenteeism.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as being absent 10%, or 18 days of school, said Ms. Jobe.
Sunnyslope Elementary had a 6.36% decline in chronic absenteeism by creating a culture of attendance.
The school has numerous attendance recognitions displayed on the marquee outside, bulletin boards in the office, and throughout the campus.
“We are very proud of our attendance initiatives,” said Marie Araux, Sunnyslope Elementary School Principal. “We have a wide range (of incentives) starting in the classroom, individual incentives, there's something new every month to motivate students to come to school.”
Students enjoy the monthly attendance challenges the most and excitedly approach staff to show that they are present at school each day.
“It’s a team effort. All of our classified staff interact with our students on a daily basis, so they are very much involved in the culture of creating a safe environment,” said Ms. Araux.
Mission Middle School experienced a 3.55% decline in chronic absenteeism, which they achieved by focusing on their students’ interests.
Last year, Mission Middle doubled the number of clubs offered to students. The clubs provide spaces for students to get excited about and create connections with their peers, teachers, and school.
“By focusing on our students, what they’re excited about, what their interests are, we (can) better connect with them, and when you have those connections, it just makes school more enjoyable, more fun, and that is where the learning happens,” said Alicia Heimer, Mission Middle School Principal.
Mission Middle also started offering specialty advisory classes during the first period of the day.
Students are allowed to enroll in classes that line up with the core elective offerings for their speciality advisory classes. That includes yearbook, publications, Associated Student Body (ASB), music, ballet folklorico, esports, and sports statistics.
Students can still enroll in general advisory classes, but two-thirds of the student population is enrolled in a specialty advisory class.
“Having that first class of the day be something that students have self-selected and are excited about helps them get them here and find that community on campus,” said Ms Heimer.
If students and families are having a difficult time getting to school, staff members at all sites reach out to families and build relationships to help them receive the resources they need.
“Part of my job is to reach out to those families and find out what the barriers (are), what are the root causes for absenteeism,” said Ms. Jobe. “(I) work with the families and find out how to remove those barriers so that those students can be at school daily.”
“We explain to our students, ‘You need to be here every day. We can’t support you, we can't help you build your future, we can't invest (in you), you can’t invest in yourself if you’re not here and setting yourself up for success,” said Ms. Heimer. | | |
| Roots of Success |  | 8/27/2025 7:00:00 AM |
The start of the new year brings students new opportunities to have another successful year. Parents can help their students meet their goals.
“It’s really important for parents to be engaged because it’s a partnership,” said Ron Zahnd, Director of Elementary Education. Families know their student the best, he said.
“We cannot do this alone,” said Dr. Josh Lewis, Director of Secondary Education. “We need our parents to be partners with us to support students… so students can reach their fullest potential.”
When families are involved in their children’s education at an early age, students have more commitment to their school and education, research shows, Mr. Zahnd said. “As a district… we are working on having our students (take) more ownership in their learning,” Mr. Zahnd said. That includes having them speak more about what they are learning.
Research supports the idea that parent engagement has a positive impact on students, said Dr. Lewis.
“When parents are actively engaged – teaching them how to be organized, supporting the whole child... and being partners at school – students are going to thrive.“ Dr. Lewis said. Dropout rates among students are lower, grade retention decreases, and attendance rates are higher.
“It doesn’t have to be all about grades or being the top student in class,” Mr. Zahnd said, “It’s about learning, and celebrating those accomplishments and the growth they have made.”
School sites can help if parents notice their child is struggling or needs extra support.
Having regular check-ins with teachers allows everyone to better understand how to meet students’ needs, Mr. Zahnd said.
Every school site has student study teams comprised of teachers and administrators who come together to problem-solve ways to support students, meet their needs, and challenge them in various ways. Parent organizations and events, such as Coffee with the Principal or parent workshops, allow parents to stay connected with school staff as students promote into middle and high school.
“When (students) see their parents asking questions or being involved in school, going to events, and connecting with teachers, it teaches students to be their own advocates in their education,” said Dr. Lewis
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| Thanks a Million |  | 8/27/2025 7:00:00 AM |
The Jurupa Unified District has been recognized for generating $1 million in district funds by selling surplus equipment. Jurupa Unified is second only to Los Angeles Unified in the amount of dollars generated through surplus sales among California school districts.
GovDeals, which contracts with Jurupa Unified to sell off surplus equipment, honored JUSD at their warehouse this month. Dr. Trenton Hansen, JUSD Superintendent, said the recognition is a testament to the district’s long-standing commitment to using resources wisely, with students top of mind.
“This honor exemplifies how the significant contributions of our entire JUSD team can make a meaningful difference for the students and families we are entrusted to serve,” Dr. Hansen said. “Oftentimes, the fiscal duties of our district go unnoticed behind the scenes, but this recognition shows the powerful impact our Business Services and Purchasing teams have on the well-being of every student we serve. This project is a perfect example of our commitment to Organizational Stability and Fiscal Solvency, ensuring that we can provide the equipment, materials, and services needed to fulfill our promise of Learning Without Limits for all JUSD students.”
Paula Ford, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, added that the district’s efficient surplus sales process saves valuable staff time.
“When our district made the decision to move to GovDeals, we were focused on a dual objective. We considered the potential for increased revenue, with a focus on prioritizing operational efficiency. We sought a streamlined platform that would handle sales and payments, ultimately saving our staff valuable time and resources as well as taxpayer dollars,” she said.
"This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our warehouse team,” noted Jeffrey Lewis, Director of Purchasing for the Jurupa Unified School District. “Their commitment to serving our students and staff is truly appreciated.”
Like in a household, district equipment, furniture, technology, and even old buses, forklifts, and other items can become broken, obsolete, and unusable. Instead of discarding the items, school districts can sell the items at auction and use the funds generated for ongoing expenses. Selling surplus items instead of disposing of them also keeps thousands of items from going into landfills.
Most of the funds generated go back to the general fund, which covers the majority of everyday district expenses, including teacher salaries and classroom supplies. When the item sold is purchased through a designated fund (such as Nutrition Services equipment), that money goes back to that fund to support those specific services.
GovDeals collaborates with 2,191 school districts nationwide, including 270 in California, to assist them in selling their surplus inventory.
"One thing that stands out about the JUSD surplus process is the dedication and prioritization they have given to it,” said Steve Rochin, Account Manager for GovDeals. “Achieving this milestone requires the collective effort and buy-in from not just the warehouse but from all departments, ensuring everyone knows where to go when they need to surplus their property.”
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| Congratulations, JUSD Administrators! |  | 5/30/2025 7:00:00 AM | Congratulations to our incredible JUSD administrators who recently earned honors. The following were recognized as Administrators of the Year for ACSA (Association of California School Administrators) Region XIX ⭐Veronica Gonzalez, Director of Education-Information Technology ⭐Paula Ford, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services ⭐Denise Hernandez, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources ⭐Daniel Brooks, Assistant Superintendent of Education Services ⭐ Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Services Monty Owens has been honored with the Outstanding Leadership in Education Award, a joint recognition from the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA) and the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). ⭐Dana Toland, Director of Maintenance & Operations, has earned the Tracey L. Case Memorial Classified Champion award from the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region XIX ⭐Rubidoux High School Principal Kevin Corridan has been recognized as WRCASM’s (Western Riverside County Association of School Managers) Secondary Principal of the Year. We are so proud of our administrators for their leadership and dedication to student success. | | |
| One Student, One Story |  | 5/30/2025 7:00:00 AM | This graduation season, Dr. Hansen visited with seniors as they prepare for the future and reflect on their journeys thus far. You can view Dr. Hansen’s interviews with these students in our special graduation edition of
On the Road with Dr. Hansen . We’re excited to introduce you to these outstanding members of the Class of 2025.
Jurupa Valley High School – Johnathan Mangini Johnathan has completed several Career Technical Education Pathways and was in the first JUSD cohort of students to complete a pre-apprenticeship program with the IEETC (Inland Empire Electrical Training Center) and IBEW International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He also has served as chair of JUSD’s CTE Advisory Committee. He looks forward to continued training as an electrician or working as a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Technician.
What he’s taking away from JUSD “One of the things I’ve learned is perseverance. Just keep going and trying.”
Advice for his peers “It really depends on where you want to go. If you want to go to college, if you want to go to work right after high school, whatever the answer to that question is, is correct. It’s up to you…it’s the mindset. Get up and do it.”
Nueva Vista High School - Abel Pineda
Abel plans to attend Riverside Community College after graduation to pursue a career as an automotive technician. After facing some obstacles early in his high school career, he found success at Nueva Vista and looks forward to the future.
What he’s taking away from JUSD “All the teachers I’ve gotten have always looked out for me and always wanted me to reach my best potential.”
Advice for his peers “The best piece of advice I can give is to not be scared to ask for help.” “Be disciplined…no matter what, as long as you stay disciplined and keep going…everything will go good.”
Patriot High School - Lizette Mendoza
Lizette is among only 14 percent of students in the nation selected to attend the United States Air Force Academy. To gain acceptance to the prestigious military academy, Lizette had to meet a series of rigorous academic, physical, and leadership standards. She also received a nomination from U.S. Congressman Mark Takano. She has a passion for flying and serves as President of the Patriot High Young Aviators of Tomorrow Club.
What she’s taking away from JUSD “I feel very supported throughout my entire high school career. I just feel like the environment here at JUSD is very supportive.”
About the application process for the Air Force Academy “I learned a lot about myself (and) a lot about the mental barriers that I had to break in order to really fulfill my fullest potential, and to show the academy that I am a deserving candidate. With a lot of support behind me, I was able to accomplish it.”
Advice for her peers “Do what you love. Do what your heart draws you toward. As long as you have that self-motivation, that discipline in yourself, you’re able to conquer anything you put your mind to.”
Rubidoux High School - Angela Martinez
Angela was among the small percentage of high-achieving high school seniors to be named finalists for the prestigious Gates Scholarship. She also earned numerous other scholarships and honors and has been a dedicated Rubidoux Early College High School (RECHS) student, with concurrent enrollment in several college courses. She has also completed several Advanced Placement (AP) classes. She will attend UC Santa Barbara in the fall, where she plans to major in political science in preparation for a career as a lawyer.
What she’s taking away from JUSD “The drive that I had and the motivation I had, knowing that coming to study in the United States was a privilege… drove me to continue this journey and get to where I stand today.
I realize that I’m not always going to be the best. I’m not always going to win at everything. That kind of humbled me and made me learn a lesson. I can try, and if I don’t win, or if I don’t succeed, it’s perfectly fine.”
Advice for her peers “Take advantage of every single opportunity you have.”
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| Fostering Hope |  | 5/30/2025 7:00:00 AM |
The challenges foster youth face can also serve as the source of their strength. JUSD’s team of caring educators works hard to foster hope by helping students value their strength and resilience, showing them empathy and grace, and connecting them with resources available to help them move toward a promising future. Targeted programs and resources are available to foster youth year-round and are highlighted in May, which is National Foster Youth Awareness Month.
“We're making sure that we’re creating those safe spaces and building those trusting relationships with them, when often these student populations are not getting that access,” said Mariana Lopez Ramos, JUSD Foster and McKinney-Vento Counselor. “They go through such difficult circumstances…we need to embrace them. We need to make them feel seen, and we want to make sure that we hear them. I want the general population to see their potential and their resilience, to empathize but not pity.”
JUSD serves 162 foster youth. These students encounter challenges that can interfere with their academic success. JUSD’s team of counselors and liaisons, available at every JUSD campus, helps to connect these students with the support they need to be successful.
“Our foster students, they’re very, very resilient…they have this motivation in them, but a lot of them, because of all of the things that they go through, they need extra compassion, extra support and grace,” said Casie Mann, Student Management and Accountability Counselor at Patriot High School. Students are connected with liaisons at their schools who can help them find help for a variety of needs access to mental health supports, information about graduation credit supports and post-secondary education programs, resources for basic needs such as food and clothing, and more. They also find a supportive community of adults and peers whom they can lean on when needed.
“A lot of times, the students who are in foster care are not aware of the different resources that we as a district can provide and the resources that the community can provide to them to help them navigate their journey in foster care,” said Olga Alferez, JUSD Director of Educational Equity.
“It’s important that we have tailored services and supports for our foster youth because often they live in such unstable environments that we want to make sure we’re nurturing these youth,” Ms. Lopez Ramos added.
Services available to foster youth were recently highlighted at the district’s first JUSD EmpowerHER Spring event for JUSD female foster youth. Organizers hope to hold a similar event for other foster youth in the future. At the April event, students heard from peers and educators, were connected with a wide variety of resources and services, and had an opportunity to see that they were not alone. That feeling of loneliness is something student panelist Gemini understands.
“There was a point in my life where I gave up, and I thought that I was the only one who went through what I went through. She added that she hoped she was able “to let (other students) know that they can still try, and there’s hope out there.”
Challenges at home, court dates, frequent moves, and other issues can lead to absenteeism or difficulty in school, for example.
“Sometimes school is just not really our priority,” Gemini said. “There’s other stuff that goes on. Sometimes school can be too much for us. Just be patient and understanding.”
The Riverside County Office of Education is facilitating the development of an app that will make those resources even easier for students to find. Gemini and other foster youth gave critical input that will be used to develop the app, which will be used across Riverside County, and potentially the state of California.
“It’s important for our educators to hear from our foster youth because they are the ones with the richness in their lived experience, and they’re the ones who can best guide us to how to best support them.” Ms. Lopez Ramos said. “When I see students being vocal, speaking up, or at least helping one another, it just gives me such joy.”
“There’s so much value in their untold stories.” Watch the video series here. | | |
| Not Someday, but Today |  | 4/30/2025 7:00:00 AM |
High school students work tirelessly toward their diplomas across the Jurupa Unified School District. However, dual enrollment (DE) students simultaneously earn college credits, effectively taking action toward their future while saving time and money.
The DE program started at Rubidoux High School (RHS) under a different name, which is still offered today Rubidoux Early College High School (RECHS).
All four JUSD high schools offer the DE program.
RECHS is a DE program that allows students to take Riverside City College (RCC) online classes while in high school .
"It’s incredible to see how much it’s grown to all high schools throughout the district and surrounding districts,” said Autumn Albin, Teacher on Special Assignment for Student Management and Accountability, and RECHS Coordinator at RHS.
“Being a senior includes a lot of stress when you apply to a four-year university, if that’s our choice,” said RHS Senior, Brenda Alvarado. “This program has helped m e with those choices because I’ve gotten a head start on core classes such as English, and it helps me towards my college career.”
RECHS and DE programs have demonstrated that students want to take control of their futures and can manage college courses.
“Our 'why' is rooted in a belief that every student deserves the opportunity to see themselves as a college student, not someday, but today,” Ms. Albin said. “We lead this work to break down the traditional barriers that often limit access to higher education, especially for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students.”
Students at RHS take courses that are taught by RCC professors online, allowing them to participate in group discussions and projects with college students.
“It helped me not only connect with students here, but also students at (RCC).” RHS senior Danna Gonzalez said.
Although challenging, students learn to study independently, schedule and plan, and be accountable.
“By easing the transition between high school and college, students gain confidence in their ability to succeed in a more rigorous academic environment,” said Michelle Markham, Coordinator II of Secondary Education. “Participation in dual enrollment demonstrates initiative and ambition, which can strengthen college applications and improve future academic and career prospects.”
Unlike RHS, both Patriot High School (PHS) and Jurupa Valley High School (JVHS) offer in-person courses taught by JUSD teachers.
“Throughout this process, I was able to get hired on as an adjunct professor at Riverside City College, and so I kind of wear two different hats. During the day, I’m a high school teacher, and then come late afternoon, I’m a college professor in my own room.” Kyle Reed Said, Career Technical Education teacher for the Graphic Design Pathway at PHS.
Students can explore a variety of topics from calculus and English to graphic design.
“It has helped me explore my options. It’s nice to take different types of classes to weigh my options on what I want to do.” PHS senior, Melissa de la Rosa said.
JUSD teachers who have become DE instructors notice that the DE also allows students to learn rigorous material while having support and guidance along the way.
“The students get walked through and guided on how to enroll into Norco because they have to enroll as students over there, fill out the application, get accepted, and then they enroll in their own classes,” said Flor Valdez, math, AVID teacher at JVHS and calculus professor via Norco City College. “So all of that is being supported through our career center and our counselors.”
“Regardless of the fact that it's hard or not, I feel like it's a challenge that anybody can take on because I feel like it's definitely doable,” JVHS Senior, Desirae Jaurequi said. “There’s a lot of opportunities for you to succeed.” | | |
