Melanie Long said she was surprised when she learned that she was being honored by the Castaic Union School District for, as she put it simply, doing her job.

The time capsule had been sealed in an inconspicuous brick and concrete bench by the Castaic Middle School’s front entrance. Originally planned to have been sealed at the building of the new site in 1996, the time capsule sealing was delayed until 1999, when bricks from the original school site were available.

Castaic Union School District has announced Lara Frandzel has been selected to participate in the Teacher Innovator Institute at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The Teacher Innovator Institute will teach middle-school educators how to bring the museum experience into their classrooms by exploring connections between informal STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education and authentic learning. The two-week immersive program will welcome over 80 teachers from across the country in summer 2024, a returning cohort and a new cohort of 32.

The Castaic Union School District is set to see a modest increase in its enrollment over the next few years, according to a demographics report presented last week, leading district officials to take a closer look at its budget projections.

Castaic Middle School (CMS) has recently been recognized as the 2024 School to Watch due to its hard work and dedication to the school community.

Castaic Middle School has once again been honored with the prestigious designation of a 2024 School to Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, in collaboration with the California League of Schools, California Department of Education, and California Middle Grades Alliance.

The Castaic Union School District is working to restore information technology operations throughout the district after a cybersecurity attack, according to Superintendent Bob Brauneisen.