Superintendent
August 11, 2026
Dear Charter Oak Community,
As we prepare to welcome students back to school tomorrow, we are excited to begin a new year of learning, discovery and opportunity across Charter Oak Unified.
To our returning students and families, welcome back. To those joining the Charter Oak Unified community for the first time, welcome to COUSD. We are glad you are here and look forward to partnering with you throughout the year ahead.
This year, our district theme is Be Curious. Curiosity is at the heart of learning. It encourages students to ask questions, explore new ideas, take on challenges and discover what they are capable of achieving. As we begin the 2026–2027 school year, we want our students to bring that same sense of curiosity into their classrooms, activities, friendships and futures.
That spirit of learning was already evident across Charter Oak Unified this summer.
Students participating in our summer school programs continued building academic skills, receiving targeted support and preparing for the year ahead. We are grateful to the educators and staff who provided engaging learning opportunities and helped students maintain their academic momentum throughout the summer.
At the same time, crews were preparing our campuses for students’ return, completing improvements to kitchens, administration buildings, multipurpose rooms, a culinary arts classroom and campus piping. This work will help provide safer, more functional and welcoming learning environments for the year ahead.
Learning also continued beyond the traditional classroom. Our theatre program presented three summer productions: Into the Woods through the Charter Oak Theatre Company, Frozen Jr. for students in grades 3–12 and Cry-Baby for advanced drama students. These experiences gave students opportunities to develop their creativity, collaboration, communication and technical skills while building on a milestone year for Charter Oak High School Theatre. Its production of Holiday Inn earned Best Musical and five additional honors at the JRAY Awards, recognizing excellence in performance, choreography, design and technical production.
Charter Oak High School’s Sports Medicine Team also continued putting classroom knowledge into practice after the school year ended, once again ranking No. 1 in the nation among schools its size and No. 2 overall. Meanwhile, our marching band and athletic teams spent the summer rehearsing, training and preparing for another strong year.
Charter Oak schools and programs were also recognized in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune’s Readers’ Choice Awards:
- Charter Oak Theatre: Best Performing Arts
- Oak Knoll Virtual Academy: Best Online School
- Charter Oak Unified: Top 3 School District
- Royal Oak Middle School: Top 3 Middle School
- Charter Oak High School: Top 3 High School
These recognitions reflect the dedication of our students and staff and the many academic, artistic and extracurricular opportunities available throughout Charter Oak Unified.
As the new school year begins, we encourage every student to Be Curious: ask the next question, try something new, seek out an opportunity and remain open to where learning can take you. We also encourage families to stay curious about what is happening across our schools and stay connected throughout the year.
Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/charteroakusd and Instagram at instagram.com/charteroakunifiedschool, and sign up for the Charter Oak USD Monthly Newsletter.
We look forward to welcoming our students back tomorrow and beginning another year of curiosity, learning, growth and opportunity together at Charter Oak Unified.
Sincerely,
Dr. Danny Kim
Superintendent
Charter Oak Unified School District