View All News

Red carpets, cheering squads, and vibrant energy marked the first day of the 2025-26 school year as Hacienda La Puente Unified School District welcomed back more than 15,000 students across 28 campuses on Wednesday, Aug. 6.

At Wedgeworth Elementary School, students began the year on a brand-new, two-story campus featuring 30 modern classrooms, smart technology, energy-efficient systems, and a fully outfitted kitchen. The indoor/outdoor multipurpose room offers a flexible learning and activity space, while an underground stormwater basin — designed to capture 1.5 million gallons of water — underscores the District’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.

“I know one friend in my class, but I'm a little nervous to meet other people,” said Wedgeworth third-grader Jacob Zane, whose favorite subject is math. “I'm happy I'm here though and my teacher already gave me a hug and said hi to me.”

William Workman High School students proudly walked the red carpet into the new school year, excited about the anticipated completion of a new Sports Complex.  

“Having a place on our own campus where our students can play means a lot to our students, athletes, and families,” Workman Principal Timothy Espinosa said. “We look forward to welcoming the Lobos community as we open our stadium this fall.”

This school year will also mark the first graduating class from the Workman Early College Academy Network (WECAN), which allows students to earn both a high school diploma and an associate degree in communications through a partnership with Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC). This will also be the first year with ninth-grade students taking college-level courses.

In addition to WECAN, Hacienda La Puente Unified offers a broad range of innovative, future-ready programs, including Dual Language Immersion in Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean, and career technical education (CTE) pathways in 11 industry sectors such as engineering, aviation, and the nationally recognized Public Safety program.

Sparks Middle School will also begin offering early college preparation through Mt. SAC’s Upward Bound program, guiding students toward higher education success.

Orange Grove Middle School sixth- and seventh-grade science teacher Cynthia Higbee said she loves teaching and is excited to provide an engaging computer, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (C-STEM) environment for students.

“I can’t wait to start with our C-STEM curriculum, where we integrate computing and robotics and get our kids started with block programming,” Higbee said. “It’s important for our students to get into the labs, analyze data, and distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information.”

In addition to its rigorous academics, HLPUSD supports students through a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), a comprehensive framework that addresses academic, behavioral, and social-emotional student needs. Grounded in data and a strengths-based approach, MTSS empowers educators to deliver targeted instruction, make informed decisions, and ensure positive outcomes for all students.

Throughout the summer months, students participated in a variety of enrichment programs to support academic and social growth and ease the transition back to school. More than 200 HLPUSD staff also took part in the District’s summer institute, engaging in professional development topics including curriculum updates, inclusive teaching practices, and strategies to support diverse academic and social-emotional needs.

“As we begin a new academic year, Hacienda La Puente Unified remains dedicated to empowering students with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to succeed in an interconnected world,” Acting Superintendent Manoj Roychowdhury said. “The first day of school sets the tone for a welcoming and supportive environment where every student feels inspired to thrive.”

PHOTOS

Wedgeworth Elementary School students celebrate their newly-constructed campus during the first day of school on Aug. 6

William Workman High School percussion students welcome back their peers with lively music on the first day of school on Aug. 6.

Orange Grove Middle School students help kick off a new school year with warm greetings for their fellow Ocelots on Aug. 6.

Hacienda La Puente Unified Technology Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) Ricardo Recinos has been named an Adobe Creative Educator Innovator (ACE) and will join a select group of K-12 educators worldwide who are using creativity to lead change in education as part of Adobe’s 2025-26 ACE cohort. 

Recinos has spent the last seven years as a Tech TOSA after nearly two decades teaching high school Spanish. As part of a Tech TOSA team with partner Teresa Magpayo-Castro, Recinos helps teachers to navigate platforms such as Aeries, Parent Square, and the Canvas Learning Management System, and supports student and parent technology education.

“It is an honor for Hacienda La Puente Unified to be part of the Adobe family,” Recinos said. “As Tech TOSAs, Teresa and I are responsible for finding emerging technologies that can even the playing field for our students, then assisting our teachers while they build their technological capacity, supporting them as they implement the new tech into their classrooms.”

Under the leadership of HLPUSD Director of Data, Research and Innovation Lilia Picado, Recinos and Magpayo-Castro were instrumental in bringing an Adobe Creativity Institute professional development seminar led by Adobe digital technicians in July 2024. Nearly 200 District teachers received an opportunity to brush up on their tech using new digital tools and apps, including starting a digital creative action plan and timeline for the 2024-25 school year.

“Congratulations to Ricardo for being named an ACE Innovator and providing an opportunity for our entire District to learn and use the latest technology and programs to support our students’ learning,” Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez said. “We are grateful to all of our teachers and staff for taking the initiative to merge innovation and learning to ensure the success of our students.”

Recinos’ interest in using tech as a teaching tool has been motivated in large part by his teenage daughter “T-Rex,” who struggled with reading as a kindergartner.

T-Rex was already falling behind in her studies when the pandemic hit in 2020, and soon after she lost confidence in school and reading, refusing to read the books her father gave her.

Employing Microsoft Immersive Reader, Recinos began writing his own stories to share with his daughter, creating characters like dinosaurs and unicorns, to keep T-Rex’s interest. When Recinos started running out of ideas for stories, he discovered Microsoft Reading Coach, an artificial intelligence program that creates stories uniquely tailored to the student’s interests after the young readers select their own characters, settings, and reading levels. Students read the story aloud while Reading Coach assesses their pronunciation and notes which words the students are having trouble with.

T. Rex immediately embraced Reading Coach, which she said boosted her confidence and made going to school fun again. Now in middle school, T. Rex is looking forward to entering high school in the fall.

Seeing the impact that it made to boost his daughter’s love for reading, Reading Coach was made available for a trial run at Baldwin Academy during the 2024-25 school year, and has been incorporated Districtwide for the 2025-26 school year.

“Reading Coach allows our students to have a say in what they are reading,” Recinos said. “It’s a fun way for them to work on their fluency without realizing they are learning, because they feel like it’s a game. They are earning badges and getting awards. As they unlock their potential, it makes me excited to see where it will lead. But we couldn’t do this without our amazing teachers, who are just as eager to learn.”

Recinos has come far since emigrating from El Salvador with no English language skills and being placed in a remedial reading class. In his long career in education, Recinos has worked tirelessly to ensure his students never have to go through a similar experience. 

“When I came from El Salvador, I didn’t understand a word of English. As a teacher I have seen students with the same struggles, and have dedicated my career to giving them all the tools they need to succeed,” Recinos said. “As an ACE Innovator, I will have access to a wealth of new software, applications, and teaching tools, and can connect with other ACE Innovators at any time.”

PHOTOS

 

HLPUSD Tech TOSA Ricardo Recinos (in white shirt) is one of a select group of K-12 educators worldwide who have been named Adobe Creative Educator (ACE) Innovators.

 

Recinos (right) and his daughter “T-Rex.” Using Microsoft Reading Coach, Recinos fostered a love of reading with T-Rex.