EL CHICANo Weekly
Vol 62, NO. 42
August 07, 2025
Real Journey Academies’ 95% Graduation Rate Prepares Inland Students for Business, Career or College with Experiential Learning
IECN.com
Redlands PD Investigate New Leads in 2023 Disappearance of Nashville Man Linked to Religious Group Pg. 3
PHOTO RJA A student at Entrepreneur High School Fontana practices knife skills in a full-scale culinary arts kitchen, part of the school’s hands-on career pathway programs.
By Manny Sandoval
W
ith a mission to equip every student for life beyond graduation, Real Journey Academies (RJA) are redefining public education across the Inland Empire—preparing students to start businesses, enter the workforce, or attend college with confidence and hands-on skills.
PHOTO RJA Students in the Digital Video Production pathway at Entrepreneur High School San Bernardino work in a professional green screen studio to develop on-camera and media skills.
The Inland Empire-based charter school network reports 2024 graduation rates exceeding 95% at both of its high schools—well above California’s statewide average of 86.4%, according to the California Department of Education. Entrepreneur High School – San Bernardino (2024): 96.88% (93 of 96 seniors graduated)
Entrepreneur High School – Fontana (2024): 95.83% (115 of 120 seniors graduated) “Our schools offer a truly personalized, one-on-one experience,” said Veronica Pacheco, director of school development. “We’re catching students who might fall through the cracks and giving them the tools to thrive—academically, professionReal Journey cont. on next pg.
Fontana Unified Renames School to Honor O’Day Short, Black Family Killed in 1945 Racially Motivated Arson 232 Wildlife Deaths in One Year Spark Plans for Two SR-62 Crossings in Calif. Desert Corridor Pg. 4
Inland Riverside Residents Empire Community Demand Civilian Newspapers Oversight as Sheriff ’s Office: (909) 381-9898 Dept. Faces Record Editorial: iecn1@mac.com Deaths,sales@iecn.com $77M in Advertising: Settlements Pg. 4
HOW TO REACH US Inland Empire Community Newspapers Office: (909) 381-9898 Editorial: iecn1@mac.com Advertising: iecn1@mac.com Legals: iecnlegals@gmail.com
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL Curtis Moss speaks at the O’Day Short Elementary renaming ceremony, sharing how the family’s story shaped his life and ongoing activism.
By Manny Sandoval
O
n August 5, Fontana Unified School District held a powerful and emotional renaming ceremony, officially changing the name of Randall Pepper Elementary School to O’Day Short Elementary School, honoring a Black family whose lives were stolen in one of Fontana’s darkest chapters.
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL Maha Rizvi (far left), district director for Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes, presents a certificate of recognition to Principal Michelle Avila (middle-left) during the O’Day Short Elementary renaming ceremony.
The renaming marks a historic shift for the district as it prepares to welcome more than 30,000 students back for the 2025-26 school year on August 6. For the first time, the school will open under a name that acknowledges and honors the Short family’s courage, suffering, and legacy. “Renaming this school is not simply about changing signage,” said Maha Rizvi,
district director for Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes. “It’s about centering truth, honoring legacy, and ensuring our students grow up learning the full history of the ground they walk on. The injustices the Short family endured is a painful part of our region’s history, but today we ensure this tragedy is never forgotten.” Fontana Unified Cont. on next pg.