New school safety measures outlined at start of new year
Redlands Unified Superintendent Cabral shares latest plans to improve student safety on campus
REDLANDS, Calif. – The Redlands Unified School District (RUSD) is implementing new safety measures and protocols as the 2024/25 school year gets underway.
Superintendent Juan Cabral announced the changes during the school board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The additional safety measures come in response to investigations by the Department of Justice and Office of Civil Rights.
On Tuesday, Cabral outlined several key actions taken to address mandates resulting from the investigations, which began as early as 2017.
"We fell short of expectations. The investigation proved that we should have done a better job," Cabral said. "I'm saying with confidence right now because I've seen it firsthand that we are in a much better place today."
🗑 Solid waste rate increase: Redlands residents may face a 9% annual increase in their solid waste utility rates for the next three years, followed by a 4% hike in the fourth year, as city officials consider adjusting fees to cover rising operational costs and fund infrastructure improvements. Read more here.
🛩 Court rulesRedlands can continue renting hangars: San Bernardino Superior Judge rules in favor of the city of Redlands to allow the city to continue renting and modifying hangars built by Coyote Aviation. Read more coverage on the ongoing legal battle between the local business and the city from Follow Our Courts here.
The interactive STEAM lab at the San Bernardino County Museum offers hands-on learning experiences that blend science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics with regional culture and history.
The Exploration Station: A STEAM Lab for Kids was unveiled in Redlands on Aug. 3, funded by a $100,000 grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
The lab aims to promote science literacy and deepen understanding of local cultural traditions.
The new exhibit demonstrates the county's commitment to education and provides modern, cutting-edge experiences for visitors.
The museum hosts 90,000 visitors annually, including 20,000 children on field trips.
The tradition-soaked Citrus Belt League is the oldest in the area.
The CBL dates to 1901 when Redlands High, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ontario, and Pomona formed the Interscholastic League of Southern California – the first high school sports league south of the Bay Area. It became the Citrus Belt League in 1906.
More than a century after that, Redlands is still a member and has a veteran-laden football team that hopes to make some noise behind traditional powers Cajon of San Bernardino and Citrus Valley.
But as of now, Cajon is the favorite.
“We’ll be carried by our offense,” said Cajon coach Nick Rogers who is in his 11th year at the helm. “We return players in key positions.”
Redlands and Beaumont get a quick gauge of where they’re at, playing a pair of Hawaii teams on Thursday, Aug. 15 in Oahu.
Take a closer look at each CBL team and read sports writer John Murphy's full season preview here.
🏈 This week's Press Row sports writer, John Murphy, catches up with the Redlands High School girls flag football team as they prepare to embark on their first season.
📌 Aug. 9 The Kalama Brothers with Puahi's Polynesian Dancers: A fun-filled evening at the Redlands Bowl of Polynesian island music infused with humor and storytelling, and a thrilling guest appearance by Puahi's Polynesian Dancers.
📌 Aug 10 Children's Festival Workshop with the Kalama Brothers: 10am at the Redlands Community Center.
📌 Aug. 15 Chamber Cocktail Competition: Local bartenders are set to shake things up at the Fox Event Center on Aug. 15 as they vie to create the official 2025 Signature Orange Drop Cocktail. Details and tickets here.
📌 Mental Health Services for Students: Healthy East Valley hosts Adam Sipes, a mental health therapist and the clinical supervisor of Redlands Unified School District. More information here.
Explore these and more events in Redlands by clicking on the event list below:
A third-generation San Francisco native. His first job was in Watsonville, where he wrote stories on a typewriter and people smoked in the office. He's covered Redlands, San Bernardino and Riverside.
Stephanie Hastings Miranda
Aidan McGloin
