The 2025-2026 school year marks the start of El Monte City School District’s (EMCSD) Strategic Plan with measurable goals to track EMCSD’s progress to ensure students achieve beyond limits. Superintendent Dr. Maribel Garcia presented a mid-year update to the board of education, showcasing the initiatives that have already been implemented so far.
“We are five months into a five-year Strategic Plan, and that context matters,” explained Dr. Garcia in her opening remarks from the January Board Meeting. “This phase is about building clarity, discipline, and alignment—not rushing to scale before systems are ready. Early implementation is when habits are formed, and expectations are set…to lay the right foundation for sustained impact.”
Dr. Garcia highlighted major growth within the four priority areas of the plan. She shared that “Academic excellence is the heart of our mission. Every other priority—student experiences, belonging, staffing, and resources—exists to support strong instruction and meaningful learning and outcomes for all students.” Already, EMCSD is seeing academic gains from Fall to Winter, with a positive shift in overall performance. EMCSD has also launched new Common Formative Assessments (CFAs) to give staff detailed insight into student learning, which has strengthened conversations with school leaders and staff while deepening instructional impact across campuses.
As part of the update, EMCSD shared recent grant implementations, specifically tied to school modernizations. In 2023, the district received a CalFIRE Green Schoolyards Grant to split nearly $6 million across Cortada, Gidley, and Shirpser schools in order to modernize their facilities to incorporate more access to nature, combat rising temperatures, and mitigate air pollution. Cortada School is nearly complete with its renovation, with Gidley and Shirpser expected to see construction soon. EMCSD has also been busy leveraging previous bonds and funding to modernize classrooms with updated furniture, replace school roofs, and upgrade playground equipment.
The district also received a $700,000 Strong Workforce Grant to provide every student with access to diverse, real-world experiences that prepare them for future success. This investment expands middle school career exploration in health and information, communications technology, and digital media, intentionally opening doors for historically underserved students through college partnerships, hands-on learning, and mentoring. Experiences are a major highlight at EMCSD with over 3,729 students enrolled in at least one extracurricular activity so far this year, which representsts 56% of their student population. Their goal is to have 100% of their students participate in an extracurricular or elective program by the end of the 2030 school year. Extracurriculars include cheerleading and soccer programs that feature nearly 1000 students participating districtwide. EMCSD also offers culinary courses, an award-winning band and musical programs, with new offerings every year centered around student-driven interests.
EMCSD’s Board of Education was also updated on the current state of enrollment. Like many districts across Los Angeles County and California, EMCSD is experiencing continued declining enrollment – since 2000, its enrollment has dropped from 12,017 students to 6,655, a 45% decline. The main drivers have been a combination of lower birth rates, the outmigration of families from El Monte and LA County, and the continued rise in cost of living. EMCSD is projected to have a $21 million deficit for 2025-26. During 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, the district experienced surpluses driven largely by one-time federal funding provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of that funding is ending, which, combined with long-term enrollment decline, has resulted in the current deficit. EMCSD is examining its budget to develop plans to creatively address the deficit moving forward while maintaining focus on its strategic goals.
Despite the challenge declining enrollment brings, EMCSD is standing by its mission to empower generations of students by being intentional with its daily work. “We are seeing clear signs of progress – stronger alignment, deeper coherence, and meaningful momentum across EMCSD,” shared Dr. Garcia. “Together, we are not only honoring the vision to Achieve Beyond Limits – we are building systems, culture, and conditions to make it real for every student, every day.” You can view EMCSD’s strategic update by visiting www.emcsd.org/MidYearUpdate25-26/
Photo and Story Courtesy Robert Dozmati, El Monte City School District
