Fontana USD wins national honor
Published: May 1, 2013
The Fontana Unified School District’s Fontana Leadership Intervention Program—FLIP for short—received the grand prize last month in the Magna Awards, presented by the National School Boards Association’s American School Board Journal. The Magna Awards recognize districts across the country for outstanding programs that advance student learning and encourage community involvement in schools.
FLIP was recognized in the over-20,000 enrollment category—the largest in the national awards program. The award includes a $4,000 contribution from Sodexo, the food management company.
The Fontana district’s staff joined forces with the Fontana Police Department to create a 16-week program to educate at-risk students about violence prevention, the dangers of substance abuse, leadership and teamwork skills, and other topics. Special Saturday classes for middle and high school students and their parents include time for physical exercise, community projects and field trips, and are supplemented with homework support and tutoring during the week. A nonprofit corporation led by community members funds the program and offers college scholarships to qualified students. The results are encouraging: Alcohol and drug use is down 91 percent, assaults have declined 84 percent, truancy is down 87 percent, and damage to school has been cut in half. Bullying behavior has also shown a dramatic decline.