News & Communications

MUHSD's Response To The Governor's Vaccine Announcement

MUHSD Family, 

First, I want to thank you for your ongoing support of all of our students and staff. Providing a safe school environment for all of our students and employees continues to be our top priority...Read More

MUHSD Board of Trustees Fills Vacant Seat

The Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) Board of Trustees appointed Amalee Jayasinghe to the vacant Trustee Area 4 seat of the Governing Board at the Regular Board Meeting held Wednesday evening. The position was vacated recently when John Sweigard resigned last month due to moving out of Area 4...Read more

MUHSD Looks To Fill School Board Vacancy

The Governing Board of Merced Union High School District is seeking an individual who is interested in serving as a Trustee on the MUHSD Board of Trustees from Sep 2021 to Dec 2022. The individual must be 18 years of age or older, a citizen of the state, a resident of Trustee Area 4, a registered voter, and who is not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the state from holding civil office.

A Trustee Area map can be found on the School Board section of the district website...Read More 

MUHSD To Offer Rapid Antigen and PCR Testing

MUHSD has partnered with the California Department of Public Health to offer students rapid antigen and PCR testing for COVID-19. Not all students will be tested, only those who are identified as a close contact.

Results of the tests will be available within minutes, and if a student's test comes back negative, they can be sent back to class...Read more

MUHSD To Provide Free Meals For All Students

MUHSD is pleased to announce that all students will eat meals at no charge during the 2021-22 school year thanks to the district's participation in the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The program allows MUHSD to provide breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students, eliminating the need for free and reduced-price meal applications...Read more

MUHSD Welcomes Students And Staff Back To School

After a year and half, MUHSD campuses were once again open to all students and staff as the 2021-22 school year kicked off. Staff we talked to said that students were happy to be back with their friends and in-person learning...Read more

Yosemite High Teacher Receives National Recognition For Green Efforts

Yosemite High history teacher Jeff Rivero was named "Educator of the Year" by the Center for Green Schools, an organization founded by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) aimed at supporting green efforts of K-12 schools and districts. The announcement was made at the USGBC and Green Schools National Network's "Best of Green Schools Awards" held at the end of June. 

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Graduation Stories: Buhach Colony High Graduate Refuses To Let Illness Dictate Her Life

Many students struggled with the disconnected nature of Distance Learning, but being able to log into classes from home made life a lot easier for Buhach Colony High senior Olivia Fleming. Olivia grew up chronically ill and was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) when she was a sophomore. EDS is a debilitating genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue in the joints, causing them to dislocate often. 

“I grew up knowing that I wasn’t built like other kids and that physical therapy was going to be a life-long thing for me,” said Olivia. 

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Graduation Stories: Atwater High Student Graduates From High School and College At The Same Time

When the pandemic hit and the district switched to Distance Learning, Alfonso Belmonte didn’t struggle with the transition like many of his classmates did. Alfonso had been taking college classes all throughout high school, so he was already accustomed to online learning. 

“A lot of the work I had been doing was online, so the switch to Distance Learning didn’t affect me that much,” said Alfonso. “I guess you could say I was ahead of the curve."

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Graduation Stories: Merced High Graduate Perseveres Through Personal Struggle

One of the hardest things to do is admit you need help. For Tatianna Wilson, that moment came when issues at home began affecting her performance in the classroom. She still showed up for class and was able to turn in her work, but mentally she had started checking out.

“I tried my hardest not to let what was happening in my personal life interfere with school,” said Tatianna. “It was just really hard to focus."

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MUHSD To Hold Student Vaccination Clinics

Merced Union High School District, in partnership with the Merced County Department of Public Health and Castle Family Health Centers, will hold COVID-19 vaccination clinics for students on all of its campuses beginning the last week of April. The clinics are open to all students age 16 and older. Staff members who haven't received the shot yet may also participate...Read more

MUHSD To Return Students to Traditional Schedule

Atwater, CA (March 24, 2021) – At a Special Board Meeting held Wednesday, the Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) Board of Trustees voted to return students to a traditional, 5 day a week schedule once they return from Spring Break on April 12. Currently, students who chose to return to campuses are on a A/B hybrid model alternating days that they are in the classroom...Read more

MUHSD and UC Merced Announce Automatic Admissions Program

At a press conference held in the El Capitan High gymnasium, Merced Unified High School District Superintendent Alan Peterson and UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D. announced the Merced Automatic Admission Program (MAAP). Students enrolled in the program who complete specific requirements at the time of graduation will be guaranteed admission to UC Merced....Read more

Athletic Competitions Return To MUHSD

After almost a year of no sports, Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) athletic competitions are back! Several sports including Cross-county, Swimming, Girls Golf and Girls Tennis will have scheduled matches beginning this week...Read More

Buhach Colony High Student Holds Teddy Bear Drive For Senior Citizens

While trying to think of something nice to do for the residents of a local assisted living facility this Valentine’s Day, Buhach Colony High sophomore Leah Chapman got the idea to hold a teddy bear drive. Leah says that the ongoing pandemic has made life tough for people, and even harder for senior citizens...Read More

MUHSD To Return Students To Campus March 15th

Atwater, CA (January 25, 2021) – Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) will mark the beginning of the fourth quarter of the school year with a return to in-person learning. On March 15, students will return to campuses on the A/B hybrid model, alternating days that they will be at schools. Families will continue to have the option to keep their children on Distance Learning for the remainder of the school year...Read More

MUHSD Graduation Rate Tops 95%

Just prior to Winter Break, Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) received some great news. The California Department of Education released graduation rates for schools and school districts statewide for 2020, and MUHSD improved for the second year in a row. The district's graduation rate has reached 95.2%, a percentage point higher than last year despite the ongoing pandemic...Read More

MUHSD To Close Schools To Students 

Atwater, CA (December 14, 2020) - Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) will be closing schools and returning all students to Distance Learning effective Wednesday, December 16. Sites will reopen and return to in-person learning on January 19, the start of the second semester...Read More

"Among Us" in the Classroom

The wildly popular app "Among Us" has made its way into classrooms at MUHSD. Some teachers have used it as a reward for completing assignments, while others have incorporated the game into the curriculum. But no matter how it's used, everyone we talked to agrees that it's helped foster interaction in a socially distant environment. View story

MUHSD Stories: Elections in the Classroom

Over the past week, social studies teachers around the district have been following the Presidential Election in their classrooms. It was a very eye-opening experience for students, many of whom will be eligible to vote for the next President. View Story

Students Return To Campuses

Eight months after schools were closed due to the pandemic, sites were once again abuzz with activity. Students were allowed to return to campuses for in-person instruction on November 3rd thanks in large part to the community doing its part to lower COVID numbers in the county. All MUHSD students had previously been on Distance Learning since last March...Read more

Four MUHSD Ag Students Named Nation's Best

MUHSD had four students win National Proficiency Awards at the National FFA Convention and Expo which was held at the end of October. Hunter Aue, Spencer Stephens and Peter Bliss from Golden Valley High and Alyssa Loredo from Merced High were named the top FFA students in the nation for their categories. 

Alyssa and Hunter both won for the entrepreneurship prowess in the areas of agriculture sales and beef production respectively. Peter was recognized for his proficiency in the area of national fiber/oil while Spencer's proficiency in the area of natural resources and environmental science earned him the top honor...Read More

MUHSD Board Approves Plan To Return Students In November

Atwater, CA (October 5, 2020) – At a Special Board Meeting held on Friday, the Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) Board of Trustees approved an updated plan that would allow students to begin transitioning to in-person instruction November 2. The decision comes in light of new data from the Merced County Department of Public Health (MDPH) that showed an improvement in the county’s COVID-19 outlook...Read More

2020-21 School Year Begins With All Students Online

The start of school for Merced Union High School District looked a lot different than previous year. Students logged into classes online from home while teachers worked both from home and in the classroom. 

Due to Merced County's high COVID numbers, MUHSD was forced to begin school on Distance Learning...Read More

MUHSD Delays Start of 2020-21 School Year By One Week

The Merced Union High School District Board of Trustees voted on Wednesday evening to delay the start of the 2020-21 school year by one week to August 19, 2020. The decision was made to give the district time to program and distribute mobile Internet devices to all of its students...Read More

MUHSD To Implement Distance Learning For All Students The Entire First Semester

After consultation with Merced County Department of Public Health (MDPH), Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) has made the decision that all students will learn online for the entire first semester of the 2020-21 school year...Read More

CIF Pushes Start Of Fall Sports To December/January - Releases Updated Sports Calendar

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced today that the start of fall sports would be pushed to late December/early January. Soon after, the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section released an updated sports calendar showing when individual sports can hold competitions.

View Sports Calendar

"Coffee with the Supt." Facebook Live Sessions 

Starting this Friday, Superintendent Peterson will hold a "Coffee with the Supt." Facebook Live session every Friday morning where he will provide updates regarding the reopening of schools in August and answer any question that are out there. 

View the latest session

Graduation Stories: Atwater High Senior's Determination To Succeed Breaks Barriers

When Nancy Salmeron was 15, her parents had raised enough money to send her to the United States for a better life. Nancy was actually born in the states, however her family had to move to Mexico when she was six due to the legal status of her parents. She says that the decision to move to another country without her parents was difficult, but she knew that it was the right thing to do.

“My parents always motivated me to pursue an education, but it was hard moving away from them,” said Nancy. “However, I decided to leave because I wanted to have a better future for myself and them.”...Read More

Graduation Stories: El Capitan High Students Graduate High School and College at the Same Time

It was during her Freshman year on the varsity cheerleading squad at El Capitan High when Hayley Moua found out from her older teammates that students have the ability to take college classes while in high school. Three and half years later, Hayley will be receiving both her high school diploma and an AA in Social and Behavioral Science this spring...Read More

Buhach Colony High Ag Student To Donate Farm Animal To Foster Home

Agriculture students around Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) look forward to the Merced County Fair to showcase the livestock that they have been tending to all year in hopes of securing a buyer. But when the annual June event was cancelled due to uncertainty surrounding the ongoing pandemic, students had to either sell their animals themselves or participate in an online auction. Mackenzie Paschall took a more charitable route...Read more

MUHSD To Honor The Class of 2020

Merced Union High School District will honor its seniors by lighting up the night sky! Beginning this Friday night, and continuing every Friday night for the remainder of the school closures, all school site stadiums and athletic field lights will shine at 20:20 (8:20pm) for one hour.

“Our stadiums and athletic fields are symbols of strength, commitment, hope, school spirit and most of all, community,’ said MUHSD Superintendent Alan Peterson. “We need to show our seniors that we have their backs and give them some hope that their graduation will happen. Let it shine for 2020, at 2020!”

YHS Students Hold Fundraiser To Send Cancer Patient/Recent Grad To Disneyland

Yosemite High’s Leadership students held a “Penny War” fundraiser to send former Yosemite High School Leadership student and recent graduate, Larayna Tapetillo to Disneyland and got the entire campus involved. Larayna is currently undergoing radiation and chemotherapy for a rare, inoperable form of brain cancer...Read More

Ag Horticulture Class Teaches More Than Just Flower Arrangement

Ag Horticulture classes around MUHSD are gearing up for one of their busiest days of the year...Valentine’s Day. Students and staff typically spend the days leading up to it arranging orders that have come in and preparing for the last-minute rush.

“Valentine’s Day is extremely busy for us,” said Merced High Ag Teacher Mrs. Brewer. “I mean, we’re making arrangements all day long. It gets pretty hectic around here"...Read More