On Monday, March 16, Porterville Unified School District had the pleasure of hosting California School Board Association President Dr. Debra Schade, CSBA Region 12 Director William Farris, and CSBA Public Affairs Representative Cecilio Barrera for a regional visit.
Guests toured three PUSD campuses and got a close look at our programs:
Guests visited the Granite Hills High School Justice Center, a fully functional courtroom where students in the Law, Justice & Ethics Academy learn and hold mock trials, and took part in a Q&A with GHHS students from the CODE, LJE, ACE, and AVID programs.
At Starbase, guests saw 5th graders from PUSD and surrounding districts engaged in hands-on STEAM projects. Local 5th graders have the opportunity to spend 25 hours in this program exploring science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics through real, project-based learning.
At Porterville Military Academy, our Guests had the chance to tour the campus and see the professional-grade flight simulator students use in their aviation training. Juniors in the Academy of Aviation also shared what it means to be a Phoenix during a Q&A. Students spoke about the real-world certifications they have earned, including lifeguard, FEMA, and wildland firefighter training, among others.
Guests also had the opportunity to observe one of our Data Protocol Professional Development sessions. In December 2025, PUSD was recognized by CSBA with a Golden Bell Award for From Data to Impact: A Framework for Equitable Student Growth, a districtwide program where teachers and students use real-time data to set goals, guide instruction, and track growth together. We were proud to share that work with our guests.
Thank you to Dr. Schade, Director Farris, and Representative Barrera for taking time out of their busy schedules to visit PUSD. We were proud to share our schools with you.