Fontana Unified School District has launched its first-ever Fontana School Police Department cadet program, welcoming two recent Jurupa Hills High School graduates, Zachary Flores and Nadia Whiting, as its inaugural cadets. The program gives graduates of the district's public safety career technical education pathway a way to return to the district and build real field experience alongside sworn officers.
As reported by the Fontana Herald News, the cadet program helps participants explore careers as dispatchers, probation officers, District Safety Officers and other public safety professionals. Cadets support department staff with front desk assistance, radio etiquette, dispatch exposure, live scan support and ride-along opportunities, while also receiving training in department operations.
Flores graduated from Jurupa Hills High School in 2025 after serving as a class captain and assistant chief in the district's Law Enforcement CTE program. He was introduced to law enforcement through his brother-in-law and now studies criminal justice at California State University, San Bernardino. He hopes to pursue a law enforcement career that allows him to mentor future recruits, and said he feels honored to give back to his community.
From Classroom Chief to Campus Cadet
Whiting, a 2023 Jurupa Hills graduate who rose to the rank of chief within the CTE pathway, now attends Cal Poly Pomona as a third-year music pedagogy major and plans a future career in education. Both cadets attended Fontana Unified elementary and middle schools before Jurupa Hills — Flores at Palmetto Elementary and Harry S. Truman Middle School, Whiting at Maple Elementary and Alder Middle School. Whiting said she feels privileged to give back to her community, while Flores said he hopes to set a positive example by showing that hard work, dedication and service can make a difference at a young age.
District official Miki R. Inbody said Flores and Whiting exemplify the benefits of strong career pathways and support, according to the same report. The Fontana School Police Department partners with Fontana Unified to mentor and educate students interested in public safety, and both cadets are gaining firsthand experience inside that POST-certified agency.
A Pathway Years in the Making
Fontana Unified's Law Enforcement pathway carries a Law and Public Safety Education Network National Program of Excellence designation, which recognizes public safety programs preparing students for careers in law enforcement, firefighting, emergency management, legal studies and related fields. The certification builds on recognition FOHI received in April 2024, when both its Law Enforcement and Fire Technology CTE pathways earned LAPSEN's Programs of Excellence status, according to IE Community News, making Fontana the first CTE fire program in the nation to receive the designation.
The Law Enforcement pathway is described as a dual-enrollment program articulated with Chaffey College, allowing participating high schoolers to fulfill California A-G college entrance requirements. Students can earn 10 high school credits and 3 Chaffey College credits, per the same outlet. For Fall 2026, the district scheduled its CTE Law Enforcement program for 16 Saturday weeks beginning August 15, with eight-hour instructional sessions from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fontana High School, according to a Fontana Unified School District post.
A Growing District, A Well-Staffed Force
Cadets train within the Fontana School Police Department, a California POST-certified agency staffed by 19 sworn police officers and 64 non-sworn personnel, including District Safety Officers, dispatchers and security supervisors. The department serves Fontana Unified campuses and students. Fontana Unified now educates approximately 33,000 students across 45 schools, according to the California School News Report.
The district has also highlighted its career pathways and postsecondary outcomes.
Leadership With a National Profile
The cadet launch comes as leadership tied to Fontana's school police department continues to draw attention beyond the Inland Empire. Former Fontana School Police Chief Carlo J. Granillo was tapped to lead security for Knox County Schools in Tennessee, taking over the role in March 2025. Fontana Unified's governing board also had a moment in the spotlight this month, as the San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation named Board of Education Vice President Marcelino “Mars” Serna among its 34th Annual Black Rose Awards honorees for educational and civic advocacy across the Inland Empire.
Fontana Unified's continued investment in a dedicated school police force stands apart from a broader statewide debate over campus policing. While Oakland Unified voted in June 2020 to disband its dedicated school police department, Fontana Unified continues to maintain its own sworn agency. That debate continues to shape statewide discussions over school safety policies and the role of officers on campus.
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