PROGRESS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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The school board sets OUSD’s vision, hires and evaluates the Superintendent, and ensures fiscal and academic accountability. The Superintendent leads day‑to‑day operations to advance our shared goals.

 

 The following reflects just some of what's been recently accomplished:

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New Leadership, New Momentum

• New district leadership brought in last year: silos coming down, a student-centered budget, and a more proactive district.

 

Academic Excellence & National Recognition

• Canyon, El Modena, and Villa Park High Schools named U.S. News "Best High Schools" for the 7th consecutive year (2025–2026), top 40% nationally.

• 15 elementary schools and 4 middle school programs also earned U.S. News "Best" honors in 2026

• Named a "District on the Rise" by the Education Scorecard (Harvard, Stanford, Dartmouth): 1.15 grade levels of growth per year, top 14% of districts nationwide, 1 of only 11 in California.

 

Responsible Fiscal Stewardship

• Fitch AA+ credit rating and positive certification — strong, disciplined financial management.

• Adopted student-centered budgeting, directing resources to where need is greatest.

• $40 million invested directly into elementary schools, plus $10 million in technology upgrades.

• Measure S improvements nearly complete - $288 million into high schools 

• Created the Resource Optimization Committee (ROC) to plan responsibly for the future in light of statewide declining enrollment and ensuring resources remain focused on students.

 

Student Safety & Wellbeing

• New cell phone policy (BP 5131.8) adopted June 2026 to support student focus and wellbeing.

• Advancing the district's e-bike safety policy (BP 5142.4).

• Elevated Student and Community Services to a standalone department, prioritizing wellbeing as core to student success.

• Invested in safety infrastructure and programs

 

Communication & Coordination

• Moved from fragmented, reactive communication to a coordinated, proactive system, internally and with families.

• Rolling out ParentSquare communication system district-wide for 2026–27.

• Piloted the Panorama data dashboard for reliable, integrated school-level data.

 

Special Education

• Two statewide awards: the 2024 Golden Bell Award and the 2024–2025 California ACSE Impact Award for "Pathways to Possibility: Inclusion in Action."

 

Investments in Elementary Schools

• New staffing model gives every elementary school a full-time counselor and behavior support assistant, plus an assistant principal at larger sites.

• Piloting early childhood teacher support at four elementary schools, one per feeder pattern.

• New Director of Elementary Readiness and Acceleration to strengthen early literacy and accelerated learning.