Back to School Highlights 2026

We are thrilled to welcome our newest Student Board Members to the Board of Education for the 2026–2027 school year. Representing each of our comprehensive high schools, these exceptional student leaders will bring fresh energy, unique perspectives, and powerful student voices directly to district leadership and our Superintendent.

Embodying our Portrait of a Graduate elements of Leadership & Character and Civic Engagement & Global Citizenship, these four high schoolers are ready to make a real impact:

• Esha Chethikattil (West High School, Junior): Speech & Debate Team Captain, newspaper editor, and Police Explorer who is focused on creating a student hall system to elevate campus voices and increase district transparency.

• Rachel Lee (Torrance High School, Senior): Founder of MedLaunch, Regional President for Students With Warmth, and active volunteer aiming to host district-wide student forums and expand career exploration resources.

• Lauren Mun (South High School, Senior): Model UN President, Speech & Debate leader, and former Torrance Unified Communications intern who plans to launch a student feedback channel and advocate for equitable program access.

• Abigail Campos (North High School, Senior): Sports Medicine President, Varsity Water Polo Captain, and YMCA mentor dedicated to strengthening communication between students and administration and expanding internship opportunities.

Congratulations to our new Student Board Members; we look forward to your leadership and representation in the year ahead!

The back-to-school season brings so much excitement, but we know late-summer heatwaves make these first weeks tough. Thankfully, the frequent breezes keep the number of these days to a minimum, but we want to be transparent about both the challenges and how we’re keeping everyone safe.

73% of our school classrroms do not have air-conditioning, and many of our schools lack the electrical and roofing capacity to install air conditioning. Retrofitting our campuses would cost over $520 million, and would require our board of education to place a school bond on the ballot and taxpayers to approve the increase.

In the meantime, the comfort and safety of our students and staff remain our absolute priority. Every campus has proactive heat plans in place, including:

• Rotating classes into shaded or cooler campus zones, and adding cooling zones to all schools

• Utilizing portable fans to maximize airflow. Our Warehouse has fans available, if needed.

• Monitoring OSHA guidelines and adjusting PE and Sports as needed

• Adding frequent hydration breaks throughout the day

• Encouraging bringing drinks, handheld fans, and cooling cloths

We appreciate that fans and water breaks aren't a full substitute for AC, and we are grateful to both our dedicated staff and students as they navigate any warmer days that may occur.

As we settle into the new school year, we know that quick access to technology support and digital learning tools comes in VERY handy!. Whether you need help logging into an application or troubleshooting a device issue, our Ed Tech team has set up dedicated online resources to keep every student connected and ready to learn.

Our primary hub for everything digital is the Family Tech Support Site, a comprehensive portal featuring guides, video tutorials, and direct login links to essential district platforms, including Clever, PowerSchool, and Schoology. Beyond day-to-day login help, the site offers practical troubleshooting for common Chromebook issues and home network connections, as well as clear guidelines on how we promote digital citizenship and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in our classrooms.

If you run into a hardware or platform issue that the self-help guides can't fix, our support team is ready to step in directly. You can quickly submit a ticket through our online Family Tech Support Request Form, and an Ed Tech specialist will reach out to help resolve the problem. We encourage all of our families to bookmark these pages today so you have immediate assistance whenever tech questions pop up throughout the school year.

If you haven't done so already, please take a moment to complete our required annual online verification to update your student’s information and ensure that your student’s records are up to date.

Important: This annual verification is required for all returning students. (If you are enrolling a student who is brand new to Torrance Unified, you will complete the new student enrollment process instead.)

How to Access:

Verification must be completed through a Parent Account in PowerSchool by visiting ps.tusd.org in a web browser. Please keep the following in mind before you log in:

• Use a Web Browser: The PowerSchool mobile app does not support online registration. You must log in using a web browser on a computer, tablet, or phone.

• Use a Parent Login: Student accounts (e.g., usernames starting with numbers, such as 1234567) do not have permission to access registration forms.

• Where to Click: Once logged in, click the "Returning Student Registration 2026–2027" icon located in the lower-left navigation menu to begin.

If you need help accessing your account, visit our PowerSchool Parent Portal Help Page or contact your school's main office. If you still need technical support, you can submit a Technical Assistance Request directly to our tech team.

Thank you for helping us keep your family's information up to date!

Torrance Unified is committed to making sure every student has access to wellness and mental health support when they need it. Through a statewide initiative called Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), our schools can be reimbursed for behavioral health and wellness services we provide to students. These funds go directly back into expanding and sustaining these programs for our students, at no cost to families, when we have basic health insurance information on file.

Sharing this information never results in charges to your family, and it does not affect your personal insurance benefits or session limits. The easiest way to provide it is by entering your child's insurance information during annual student verfification/registration in PowerSchool.

If this information isn't on file, our district's partner, Care Solace, may reach out directly to collect it. You can help us avoid this extra step and save yourself the follow-up by completing this section during registration. If you do hear from Care Solace, we'd appreciate a quick response, as it helps us keep these programs available for all students.

Still have questions? Please Reach out to your child's school counselor. Together, we can continue building a safe, supportive environment where every student has the opportunity to learn and thrive.

Our Communications Department received some questions about our media opt-out process. The process has been the same for the past three years; however, we know that families are becoming more engaged in their students’ digital footprint. We want to assure you that checking the box during online verification only means that you have read and understand the process. You can opt out of most media coverage at any time by completing the opt-out form and sending it to communications@tusd.org and your school office. This year, we added more options to help you specify your preferences.

To review the full policy details, access the official form, or learn more about how we protect student privacy, please visit our Media Authorization & Release Page.