Advertisement

Little Lake City School District

Share

Fourteen Southeast-area school systems and three community college districts will have board elections Nov. 2. Enrollment: 4,300 students.

Areas served: Most of Santa Fe Springs and parts of Norwalk and Downey.

On the ballot: Three candidates, including two incumbents, are running for two seats.

Issue: The proposed merger of the Little Lake district, which includes elementary and middle schools, with the Whittier Union High School District. One merger option would be for the high school district to absorb Little Lake and the other districts that feed into area high schools. Under another proposal, Little Lake would take over management of Santa Fe High School, the campus serving the Little Lake area.

CANDIDATES

Thomas J. Borgogna

Age: 34

Residence: Santa Fe Springs

Occupation: Transportation equipment inspector

Remarks: He favors the takeover of Santa Fe High School by Little Lake. “As a parent of children who are in the school district I have a vested interest in how the quality of education turns out. I’m for unification with the Whittier Union High School District because it will bring more dollars to the district.” He campaigned successfully against a $75-million bond issue proposed two years ago by the Whittier Union High School District. “I currently cannot envision a circumstance where I would vote for any increased taxes in this community.” He also supports a November ballot initiative that would provide vouchers for parents to send children to the public or private schools of their choice.

Armida Trujillo

Board member since 1989

Age: 57

Occupation: Costume maker

Residence: Santa Fe Springs

Remarks: A mother of five, she has served as president of PTAs in the district for more than two decades. She has also served on a committee that coordinates student busing with the Whittier Union High, Los Nietos and South Whittier school districts. She thinks that the Little Lake district should absorb Santa Fe High School. “I support unification of Santa Fe High with Little Lake, but not absorbing Little Lake by Whittier Union High. Logistically, that’s the way it should be. All of our schools feed into Santa Fe. It would make it easier to have a curriculum. I think I’m a dedicated person. I have the time to give the people, and I have a great interest in my community, in my schools. I want the best we can get for our children.”

Advertisement

May Sharp

Board member since 1985

Age: 61

Occupation: Homemaker

Residence: Santa Fe Springs

Remarks: She thinks that the school system is well-run, but faces major changes if a proposed unification with the Whittier Union High School District is approved. She favors Little Lake taking over Santa Fe High School. “We’re off on the far end of the high school district. The whole Little Lake district feeds into that school. It seems like it’s our school. We should be unified. Many people feel the same way. But it’s not that simple to accomplish. We just think it would be a smooth transition from our eighth grade.” She also supports more literacy programs for children with poor reading skills and has worked to establish closer relations with the city of Santa Fe Springs, where her husband serves as a councilman.

Los Angeles Times

Advertisement