The Fontana Unified School District has settled on hiring Ramiro Rubalcaba to replace Miki Inbody as superintendent when the current 2026-27 school year ends in June.
Ramiro Rubalcaba, who is currently serving the superintendent as the Los Nietos School District in Whittier, has been an educator for 30 years.
While the school board has determined Rubalcava will lead the district going forward, the terms of his hiring, including his salary and benefits, are now subject to negotiation.
Inbody has been superintendent in Fontana Unified since 2023.
Rubalcaba began working as a teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District in 1996. He remained with that district for 17 years, becoming the Dean of Students with the district in 2004, a position he held until 2008, when he move on to become the assistant principal at Stevenson High School, where he remined only six months before heading to Garfield High School to become the assistant principal there. In July 2012, he was made the certificated performance evaluation support coordinator. A year later, he left the Los Angeles Unified School District to take the position of principal of Azusa High School in the Azusa Unified School District. In 2018, he was hired by the Victor Union High School District as the assistant superintendent for Human Resources. In 2022 he became the superintendent of the Los Nietos School District.
Rubalcaba has a doctorate in educational leadership from USC, a master of education degree in educational administration and a bachelor of arts in Spanish literature from Cal State Los Angeles.
In what was for many a shocking acknowledgment of ethnic/race-based favoritism in the evaluation and hiring process, Fontana Unified Board President Angel Ramirez noted Rubalcaba as “would become the second Latino superintendent in the district’s history. We recognize the importance of leadership that reflects the community we serve, and with approximately 86% of our students identifying as Hispanic or Latino, representation matters. It helps foster a sense of belonging, cultural pride and the belief that our students can envision themselves as leaders and achieve their fullest potential. We are proud to continue this legacy while selecting a leader whose experience, vision and commitment to student success will help guide Fontana Unified into the future. The Board is excited to advance his candidacy as our finalist.”
In a statement, Fontana school board President Angel Ramirez said Rubalcaba’s “approachable style and proven track record made him a standout candidate.”