When he visits school sites in Ontario-Montclair School District, Superintendent Dr. James Hammond makes sure to pack a pair of sneakers.

It’s so he can get out on the blacktop and play basketball with kids. He’s also known to have lunch in the cafeteria with staff and pop into classrooms to see teachers in action.

These site visits keep him connected to why he went into education — that feeling he got as a 19-year-old when he first made a difference in a young person’s life.

His deep connection to students and the bold, systemwide changes he has made in Ontario-Montclair School District over the last 15 years have earned him ACSA’s 2026 Marcus Foster Memorial Award for Administrator Excellence.

The honor is named for Dr. Marcus Foster, the former Oakland USD superintendent whose life was cut short in 1973. Hammond said he is humbled to receive an award named for an educator who made courageous decisions and was unapologetic about social justice and equity.

Like Foster, Hammond has not been afraid to shake up the status quo for the benefit of students. In 2010, he arrived at Ontario-Montclair School District, a K-8 district with 88 percent high-needs students. Hammond said there was great human capital, but leadership transitions had left the district rudderless.

Without a strategic plan to guide the work, Hammond assessed the needs: Schools were underperforming academically, classrooms were deteriorating, and students needed to be better prepared to feed into the high school district. Hammond then zeroed in on the four lowest-performing schools and decided to take a calculated risk: Staff at those schools would re-interview for their jobs.

With compassion and care, Hammond assured teachers they would still have a job elsewhere in the district. He then appointed new principals tasked with hiring staff who aligned with each campus’ new vision.

“Sometimes there were strategic reasons to give people fresh starts elsewhere because it’s a matter of aligning their talents and strengths to where the needs are. And that’s really what the reconstitution provided us,” Hammond recalled. “That probably wasn’t the most popular decision, but I think it ended up being a good decision.”

Hammond’s leadership has stretched outside the bounds of his district into the community, where he has strengthened ties with business groups and service organizations. The district also established the nonprofit Ontario-Montclair Schools Foundation — another hallmark of Dr. Foster, who was among the first to pioneer school-based 501(c)(3)s in the 1970s.

“The strategy of this foundation is having something designed solely for the unmet needs of our kids,” Hammond said. “This foundation is comprised of people within our footprint that are leadership-oriented, that have influence and the ability to create relationships to draw resources into the school district.”

The foundation also broadened the district’s view of student achievement. Hammond was instrumental in creating the Promise Scholars Program, an articulation agreement between the high school district, local colleges, and the trades that gives OMSD a window into students’ progress in high school and beyond. With support from the foundation, the program also helps students build an academic mindset, explore college and career pathways early, and secure a seat at a partner college or university after graduation.

As OMSD redefined student success, Hammond knew the district also needed top-notch facilities to match. In 2016, the district asked taxpayers to fund repairs to aging, unsafe facilities and technological upgrades. The community responded by passing Measure K, a $150 million general obligation bond approved by more than 78 percent of voters.

“To get that level of affirmation, almost a mandate. I think that was really a hallmark moment from my tenure here, because it’s a reflection of a lot of people creating a different brand that people trust,” he said.

The bond also supported the creation of five $15 million Wellness, Arts and Technology Centers. Hammond said the multi-use facilities address priorities identified by families — safety, technology and indoor recreation, which is especially important in a region struggling with high obesity rates and hot temperatures that can prohibit students from playing outside. Hammond said the performance stages, makerspaces, robotics labs and basketball courts in the WAT Centers rival anything you would see in a higher-resourced district.

“He has helped change the narrative of Ontario-Montclair SD,” said Irma Sanchez, executive assistant to the superintendent, noting more students transfer into the district now than leave it.

Although these positive changes can be felt by all, the numbers also tell a convincing story. English Learner reclassification rates have improved to 17.5 percent, surpassing state and county averages and ensuring students gain equitable access to academic opportunities. Restorative and supportive discipline practices have replaced punitive approaches, resulting in zero expulsions across the district since 2014. OMSD schools have also garnered state and international recognition: 11 Gold Ribbon Schools, two California Distinguished Schools, and four International Baccalaureate World Schools.

“The Marcus Foster Award honors administrators who, like Dr. Foster himself, take risks to improve educational opportunities, manage change effectively, and inspire confidence and comfort among staff and community,” said San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre. “Dr. Hammond’s record — sustained academic progress, strong community partnerships, and an unwavering focus on equity and opportunity — embodies these principles.”

When he was in college, Hammond took a classified job at a school site supervising students and coaching afterschool sports. He fell in love with the work and changed his major to become a teacher.

“I really felt for the first time in my life a sense of purpose,” he said. “I really felt kids were depending on me to show up and give them their very best.”

He says his one regret in education was leaving the classroom too soon. It’s part of why as a superintendent, he tries to visit school sites as much as possible.

“It allows me not to forget how hard and sometimes complicated and sophisticated the work can be,” he said. “What we do really is, in my opinion, the civil rights issue of our generation.”