Claremont School News
“With the announcement that Salman Rushdie has decided to withdraw as keynote speaker at Claremont McKenna College’s May 17 commencement, we are reminded that the stakes of freedom of expression are not confined to faraway lands or abstract principles, but are present here and now, on our own Southern California campuses.” Photo/by Christoph Kockelmann
Declining enrollment is nothing new for Claremont Unified School District: it has been on the wane for the past seven years, falling 12% over that period, from 7,075 students in 2018 to 6,261 in 2024. All surrounding districts have experienced the same problem, some more than others. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
Aaron Cayer, assistant professor of architecture at Cal Poly Pomona, was named among 26 Carnegie Corporation of New York’s 2025 Andrew Carnegie Fellows on April 16. Each recipient received a stipend of $200,000 to research political polarization, according to a news release at carnegie.org.
The CUSD Board heard the results of a survey of students, staff, and parents on their preferences on a proposed start date shift from the last Wednesday in August to mid-August at its April 17 meeting. Of the 3,706 responses, 1,634 were in support of the shift, 1,464 were not, and 608 had no preference. Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Julie Olesniewicz, pictured, also delivered an update to the district’s 2024-27 local control accountability plan. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
The music building celebration took place on Thursday, April 17, with an official ribbon cutting ceremony that included CHS senior and Chamber Singer Bella Sacks, cutting the ribbon, surrounded by enthusiastic Claremont Unified School District leadership and supporters. Courier photo/Peter Weinberger
Pomona College’s Alumni Association Board will honor six alumni for their professional achievements and service to the college during alumni weekend, Thursday, May 1 through Sunday, May 4.
The heads of three local sports organizations, Claremont American Youth Soccer Organization, Claremont Stars Soccer Club, and Claremont Fast Pitch Softball, say they’ve been raising concerns about the state of the fields at some heavily used city parks for at least three years, but that little has been done to address them.
The U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce and its higher education subcommittee sent Pomona College a letter March 27 requesting information about “antisemitic incidents” on campus since Oct. 7, 2023; many in the 5C community remain uncertain about Pomona’s plans to respond and cooperate with the investigation.
Claremont High School’s girls varsity 800-meter sprint medley relay team of Yaroslava Willard, Annika Graham-Scanlon, Zenani Guannu, and Zylah Araujo set a new school record at the 22nd annual California Relays, finishing first at 1:50.05 at the March 14-15 meet at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach.
Webb Schools students brought home top honors at the recent 75th annual Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.
The CUSD Board of Education heard a budget update at its March 20 meeting projecting it would be operating at a deficit for the next three years. “The primary reason for this deficit is declining enrollment, which results in a loss of Average Daily Attendance funding — our main source of revenue,” said CUSD spokesperson Elaine Kong. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
Claremont High School hosted the SoCal Trades Tour Wednesday. The event offered students a chance to connect with potential employers and explore future career paths. It featured 35 organizations looking to hire. Beyond job opportunities, the fair provided students with valuable experience speaking to real recruiters in interview-like settings. Courier photo/Peter Weinberger
It took just seconds for Ontario High School senior Maria Mercado to spring into action after her 18-month-old nephew Jeremias fell into a swimming pool and was pulled out unconscious.
Monday, March 31 is the deadline for high school students to apply for American Museum of Ceramic Art’s 2025 high school ceramics exhibition.
Alta Loma High School recently unveiled its new Lions mascot after retiring its former nickname of the Braves.
Claremont McKenna College President Hiram Chodosh announced last week that he will step down by the end of the 2025-2026 academic year, his 13th as president.
Trumark Homes is now the owner of the former La Puerta Intermediate School site. Escrow closed February 20 on the 9.77-acre north Claremont parcel, with a purchase price of $12.25 million. Claremont Unified School District has said it will use dividends from the sale to improve infrastructure at various school sites.