Original Research by School Decision on Entrepreneur High Fontana
Entrepreneur High Fontana is a public charter high school that opened in 2021 and now serves grades 9 through 12. It operates as its own district and is run by REAL Journey Academies. The school moved into a permanent three-story campus on Sierra Avenue in early 2023, having started in temporary facilities. It is tuition-free and open to any Fontana resident who wants to enroll, giving families a distinct alternative to the larger Fontana Unified School District's traditional high schools.
The defining characteristic of the school is its dual-curriculum model. Every student pursues both college-preparatory coursework and a parallel four-year entrepreneurship program. Rather than treating business or entrepreneurship as an elective, the school integrates it as a core academic pathway. Students choose and follow one of several career tracks: culinary arts, education, digital media and video production, or product innovation and design. Juniors and seniors can take honors and dual-enrollment college courses, and industry certifications are available within the program. This structure appeals to families who want their child exposed to both academic preparation for college and hands-on business and innovation learning from ninth grade onward.
On state testing, the school's results are weak across all measured subjects. In the most recent year reported, proficiency in English language arts was low, proficiency in mathematics was very low, and proficiency in science was also very low. These numbers reflect serious academic challenges. A parent considering this school would want to discuss directly with the school leadership what supports exist for students who arrive below grade level, what remediation or tutoring is available, and what the school's trajectory has been or is expected to be. The school is new, and whether these results reflect startup challenges, the school's particular student population, curriculum implementation, or a combination remains a question worth exploring in detail.
The student body is economically disadvantaged. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Demographically, the enrollment is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller share of Black students and very small numbers of Asian and white students. These enrollment patterns reflect Fontana's broader demographics and the school's role as a tuition-free public charter serving the city's youth.
The school enrolls a modest number of students overall for a four-year high school. Freshman cohorts are the largest class; each successive grade is somewhat smaller, likely reflecting both the school's newness and possible student attrition. Demographic data on English learners and students with disabilities are not publicly reported for this school, so a parent seeking those details would need to ask the school directly.
Fontana itself is a large, growing Inland Empire city dominated by logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, and residential life. It is car-oriented outside its small downtown core and has major employers in distribution and industrial sectors. Housing values in the Fontana zip code are at the lower end for Southern California, and rents are moderate, making it a relatively affordable market for families priced out of other parts of the region. The city is actively redeveloping its downtown through the Forge District project, a state-backed initiative encouraging mixed-use development and walkability along Sierra Avenue, where this school's campus now sits.
For families attracted to an entrepreneurship-focused, integrated curriculum and willing to navigate the current state assessment results through conversation with school staff, Entrepreneur High Fontana offers a structured alternative path through high school. For families prioritizing demonstrated strong proficiency on state tests, this school's current numbers warrant close scrutiny and direct inquiry before enrolling.
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