In recent years, the number of students in many public schools in California has been declining, leading to a corresponding reduction in education funding and teaching staff. However, in a school district in Southern California, the total number of students has unexpectedly increased over the past five years.
“We don’t have any financial deficits in our district, and we haven’t laid off any teachers,” said Dr. Yi “Tony” Torng, the chairman of the “Walnut Valley Unified School District” (WVUSD) in Los Angeles County, describing the district’s operation as “prosperous” in a recent interview.
According to records from the California Department of Education, the enrollment of students in the district has steadily increased over the past five years, with figures of 13,311, 13,494, 13,815, 14,004, and finally 14,302 students. In contrast, the total enrollment in California public schools decreased by 1.2% (72,000 students) in the current academic year compared to the previous year.
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second-largest school district in the country, saw a decrease of 32,953 students in the current academic year compared to the previous year. Many other school districts in Los Angeles County have had to lay off teachers or even close campuses due to declining student populations.
The Walnut Valley School District has gained favor among students and parents mainly due to its outstanding academic performance. Several schools in the district consistently rank among the top in California and the United States. For instance, Diamond Bar High School is ranked 56th in California and 432nd in the US. The district has been consistently ranked as one of the best high school districts in the country and belongs to the top 1% to 2% of districts; three middle schools also rank in the top 3%.
Dr. Torng mentioned that Diamond Bar High School sends over sixty students to UC Berkeley each year, and several students are accepted by Ivy League schools like Stanford. Even students with learning disabilities are not overlooked. If data reveals that some students’ grades are consistently declining, the school focuses on identifying the reasons and finding ways to help them improve.
In addition to academics, the district places a strong emphasis on talent development. The orchestra at Diamond Bar High School has won multiple national championships, and this year, the school once again clinched the title at the 23rd Annual National School Orchestra Championship held at Lincoln Center.
Regarding Asian students, Dr. Torng expressed concerns about their lack of leadership and communication skills rather than academic performance. He believes that lacking these two crucial skills may put them at a disadvantage in college admissions and their future careers. Therefore, he regularly communicates with parents in the hope of providing more training to address these weaknesses in their children.
Dr. Torng attributes the district’s excellent performance to effective communication between the district and the superintendent. He believes that many school districts suffer from deteriorating education quality due to the lack of compatibility between school board members and the superintendent. In his view, a district is like a company: if everyone doesn’t strive for a common goal, it won’t succeed.
The Walnut Valley Unified School District currently has five school board members, with Dr. Torng starting his tenure in 2013. Some board members have served for as long as two to three decades, while the shortest tenure is nearly a decade. When faced with controversial state policies, they usually take a more conservative approach, striving to balance the needs of parents and prioritizing children’s growth.
The Walnut Valley District covers parts of Walnut and Diamond Bar cities, as well as the outskirts of West Covina and Industry cities. Dr. Torng pointed out that compared to other excellent high school districts in California, the area offers a significant advantage in terms of housing affordability, meeting the needs of Chinese parents who seek a balance between homeownership and their children’s education.
“These may be the reasons why Chinese parents favor this district,” said Dr. Torng.