October 13, 2026

Magnificent Eleven: MUSD celebrates its National Merit Scholar Semifinalists

Milpitas High School is beaming with Trojan pride as 11 exceptional seniors from the Class of 2027 have been recognized as National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists. This prestigious achievement places these standout students among the highest academic scorers in the nation.

Congratulations to our outstanding semifinalists: Ishaan Choudhary, Jason Dang-Tran, Anvi Gadkari, Allison Hao, Aarjav Jain, Mihika Kedia, Aarohi Kulkarni, Neha Meher, Amy Nguyen, Prisha Sabhnani, and Ayush Thoren.

These amazing students earned their semifinalist designation based on their exceptional performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) taken during their junior year. Being named a semifinalist is a distinction awarded to less than one percent of high school seniors nationwide.

Roughly 95% of semifinalists are expected to advance to Finalist standing. To reach the next level, students will complete a comprehensive application detailing their academic record, community involvement, leadership activities, and extracurricular achievements. Finalists will compete for approximately 6,800 National Merit Scholarships worth millions of dollars, with winners announced in the spring.

Students recognize Indigenous People's Day, Administrators Appreciation Month, Unity Day

Administrators Appreciation Month

Zanker Elementary School students recognized our amazing education leaders in Resolution 2027.13 Recognizing and Honoring our MUSD School Administrators.

Indigenous Peoples Day on October 12

Milpitas High School's Amnesty Club members were featured in Resolution 2027.12 Recognizing and Honoring October 12, 2026 as Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Unity Day on

October 21st

Rose Elementary School students were featured in Resolution 2027.14 recognizing October 21, 2026 as Unity Day.

Recognitions

Rose Elementary School Team for being amazing educators and earning the CSBA's coveted Golden Bell Award for inclusive practices.

Randall World Languages Elementary School educator Cecilia Carrillo for being an amazing educator and selected as the recipient of the CA Educational Research Association's 2026 Research-Practice Partnership Award.

Milpitas High School Speech & Debate Coach Charles Schletzbaum and the MHS Speech & Debate team for being an amazing educator and tremendous student leaders who continue to shine on the local, regional and national levels in speech and debate competitions while building a powerhouse team.

MUSD team shares report on Comprehensive School Safety Plans

Chief Business Officer Sarah Doherty and Director of Maintenance, Operations and Transportation Ken Paige shared a report on MUSD's Comprehensive School Safety Plans, particularly the requirements under CA Education Code, the annual update process, and where to find the plans on our www.musd.org website.

Made in MUSD ~ Zanker Elementary

Each meeting, the Board of Education recognizes one Classified and one Certificated employee from a school site for being amazing educators and going that extra mile for students. The school team members select the recipients from their site.

Principal's Report ~ Zanker Elementary

Zanker Elementary School Principal Hetal Patel, along with Assistant Principal Jean Dillon, shared a report on Least Restrictive Environment data and practices as well as their fundraising efforts to build a track on campus, including the ongoing Silent Auction.

Superintendent's update

MUSD Superintendent Cheryl Jordan provided her latest State of the District Update, sharing district-wide attendance data by school site, examples of our Strategic Commitments as well as a General Obligation Bond Program Update.

New faces of MUSD

High School SPED team delves into Inclusion and Co-Teaching

MUSD Executive Director of Inclusive Services for All Learners Brian White, along with a team of educators, led the report on Inclusion and Co-Teaching in our MUSD high school classrooms, with the goal of strengthening instruction so that every student learns in their least restrictive environment. This aligns with MUSD Strategic Commitment #4 Provide for Academic and Social Emotional Achievement.

Board approves purchase of two passenger vans to improve transportation operations

Chief Business Officer Sarah Doherty and Director of Maintenance, Operations and Transportation Ken Paige shared MOT's need to purchase two passenger vans to ensure there are enough vehicles to transport students daily. The Board approved the request for a 2027 Ford Transit, 9 Passenger Plus Driver and the 2026 Ford Transit with Wheelchair Lift, 8 Passenger/1 WC Position.

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