SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Good morning San Diego!
It’s the big day as thousands of students head back to class across San Diego Unified, the state’s second-largest school district. We’re taking you inside the preparations and excitement as 175 schools welcome back students, plus how the district is working to keep everyone safe and inspired for the new year.
Time to dive into the 10News Wake Up Call newsletter for Monday, Aug. 11, 2025:
WEEKEND WRAP UP:
TODAY'S TOP STORY:
It's back to school for thousands of kids Monday morning as students get ready for their first day. We're showing you how the San Diego Unified School District is making sure they're ready for the year.
"I want students to feel joy and to feel inspired when they come in," says Superintendent Dr. Fabi Bagula. "It gives me a lot of joy when I see students connecting those dots and feeling like 'Wow!'"
WATCH: ABC 10News anchor Jared Aarons reported live from Bell Middle School as the back-to-school excitement got underway
SDUSD is the second-largest school district in the state; a total of 175 schools are welcoming back students on Monday.
ABC 10News got a behind-the-scenes look at how a Bell Middle School teacher prepared her classroom before the big first day back. Meera Ramanathan was recently named as the district's elementary teacher of the year.
This year, she's tasked with taking part in a nationwide pilot program with the National Elementary Art Honor Society in an effort to find new ways to help kids connect their creativity to the classroom.
"It's definitely an 'aha!' moment. It gives me a lot of joy when I see students connecting those dots and feeling like, 'Wow, so this is what you were talking about.' I like when it all comes together and they're like — now I get it!" says Ramanathan.
In an interview before the first day of classes, Superintendent Bagula told ABC 10News the district is doing everything in its power to protect students from ICE raids on campus. She says the priority is keeping the kids safe.
"We've taken this very seriously, including last year. We have a web page called 'Protecting our Students,' where it details all of our policies, including guidelines and resources for parents, for students if they happen to find themselves by themselves, and what we can do there and then, also for teachers and our personnel in our offices," she says.
Bagula also mentioned they handed out "Know Your Rights" cards to students. She also says they're working with a lot of organizations that provide immigration help, including Jewish Family Service and the Community Law Project. Both have office hours at schools with large immigrant populations.
SDUSD reports there have been no confirmed reports of ICE agents on its campuses.
MICROCLIMATE FORECASTS:
Coasts
Inland
Mountains
Deserts
BREAKING OVERNIGHT
More than 1,000 San Diego Gas & Electric customers in the Lemon Grove neighborhood lost power overnight after a car crashed into a pole. According to the California Highway Patrol, a vehicle hit a pole in the area of Sweetwater Road and Samantha Lane a little after 3 a.m. Monday.
No injuries were reported as a result of the crash, and officers are investigating this as a hit-and-run.
A total of 1,274 customers lost power after the pole was rammed into, per SDG&E's outage map. The online map indicates power will be restored in that area by 8:30 a.m.
CHP's online activity log indicates there was also a transformer fire a couple blocks away from the crash, but that appeared to be an unrelated incident.
CONSUMER:
Fewer than 50% of Americans have enough savings to cover three months of expenses, even though 1 in 3 had to tap into their emergency funds in the past year, according to Bankrate's yearly emergency savings report.
Financial experts recommend keeping three to six months' worth of expenses as a financial lifeline.
Many Americans are finding it difficult to save with current financial pressures. An annual Bankrate poll shows 68% of Americans are saving less for emergency expenses, up from 5% last year.
WATCH: Scripps News Group reporter Jane Caffrey speaks to experts and real people about the techniques they follow to build an emergency fund.
WE FOLLOW THROUGH:
It's been a year and a half since Dr. Benjamin Harouni was murdered while working at Smile Plus Dentistry in El Cajon. Now, his parents have launched the dental floss Benjamin was creating before his death.
At 28 years old, Dr. Benjamin Harouni had big plans for the future. He was working at his father's dental clinic and had just established an LLC for a new floss called LUVLINE.
"The very last conversation Ben and I had was about — he was extremely excited about this floss he was developing," his family member said.
Benjamin's dreams were cut short in February last year when El Cajon police say a disgruntled patient shot and killed him at work.
WATCH: ABC 10News reporter Perla Shaheen follows through, speaking with Ben's parents about their son's legacy
Harouni says she'll never stop sharing her son's story to ensure his name lives on. Follow this link if you'd like to purchase Benjamin's floss.
The competency hearing for Benjamin's shooter has been delayed nine times. It's now scheduled for August 26, and we will follow through to the end of his trial.
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