Hesperia Unified School District

District’s "Moving the Needle" initiative earns statewide recognition for transforming student support, reducing suspensions by 25.4%, and enhancing campus safety.

The Hesperia Unified School District (HUSD) has been named a finalist for the California School Boards Association (CSBA) 2026 Golden Bell Award for its system-wide initiative, “Moving the Needle: Ecosystems of Support”. The Golden Bell Award promotes excellence in education by recognizing outstanding school programs across California. Even a single Golden Bell would be an amazing accomplishment, but a win this year would mark HUSD’s fifth Golden Bell Award.

Launched in 2022, Moving the Needle shifted HUSD away from reactionary discipline toward a multi-tiered framework focused on empathy, mental health, and continuous campus connections. Key outcomes of the initiative include:

• Targeted Basic Needs Support: Initiatives like Threading Up provide unhoused and in-need students with rapid access to clothes, footwear, and essentials and reduce barriers for students; the District’s nts to succeed.

• Dedicated Wellness Spaces: Dedicated Wellness Centers and Calming Rooms across campuses have logged thousands of student self-regulation visits, including over 4,300 at Ranchero Middle School alone.

• Positive Reinforcement Through the Student All-Star Recognition:  In partnership with local community sponsors, over 500 students were recognized in the 25-26 school year alone for personal growth.

• 25.4% Reduction in Suspensions: Overall Districtwide out-of-school suspensions dropped significantly over four years as evidence of reduced behavior incidents.

• 38% Reduction in Expulsions: Total expulsion incidents fell from 107 in 2022 to 65 in 2026.

“'Moving the Needle' is the heartbeat of our commitment to provide the individualized support each and every student needs to feel safe, valued, and successful. By wrapping around our students not just with learning, but also with support, empathy, resources, and deep connections across our campuses, we are building an environment where our students truly belong. I am incredibly proud to lead a district where staff exemplifies such unwavering dedication for our students.” - Dr. Michelle Smith HUSD Superintendent

This achievement would mark the 5th time HUSD has been recognized with the prestigious Golden Bell award. Past wins have been for:

• iExpo; the District’s annual STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) competition. Click Here

• Robotics; HUSD’s robotics design, construction and competition program spanning grades 4-12. Click Here

• Excel; District-wide intervention/enrichment program to help struggling students achieve and advanced students expand their learning further.

• Common Core; District-designed curriculum to address grade-level needs and district-wide unification.

The District would like to thank the Hesperia Unified Governing Board (Mr. Eric Swanson, Ms. Maria Gomez, Mr. Christian Steen, Mr. Mark Dundon and Mr. Manny Lin) for their unwavering support of the initiative. We would also like to thank the hard work of the Student Services Department and the Innovative Technology and Communication Division, in collaboration with the iMTSS and Special Services Departments as well as the Hesperia School Police Department for their strong commitment to helping to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s world. For more information about the CSBA Golden Bell Awards, visit awards.csba.org/golden-bell.