Hacienda La Puente Unified School District elections (2013)
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Three seats on the school board for Hacienda La Puente Unified School District were up for district wide elections that were held on November 5, 2013. Penny Fraumeni, Joseph K. Chang and Anthony Duarte defeated Jeffrey De La Torre, Henry E. Gonzales and Bryan Coreas for three at-large seats.
About the district
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District is located in the Southeast Los Angeles County, California in Industry, California. According to the 2010 Census, Los Angeles was home to 3,792,621 residents.[1]
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Demographics
As of the 2010 Census, the median household income in Los Angeles was $50,028 compared to $61,632 for the state of California. 30.5% of Pico Rivera residents aged 25 years and older attained a bachelor's degree compared to 30.2% in California. The US Census also showed the poverty rate in Los Angeles was 20.2% compared to 14.4% for the entire state. The US Census also found that 73.9% of Los Angeles residents aged 25 years and older attained a high school degree compared to a 80.8% in California.[3]
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Method of board member selection
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District School Board consists of five members, all of whom are elected to four year terms. All board members represent the district at large. Board member terms are staggered so that at least two members, but no more than three are to be elected each odd numbered year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. There are no primary elections. Three seats were up for election on November 5, 2013. The two remaining seats were up for election on November 3, 2015.
Elections
2013
Candidates
- Joseph K. Chang
- Incumbent board member
- Bryan Coreas
- Educator, College advisor
- Jeffrey De La Torre
- Educator, school counselor
- Anthony Duarte
- Appointed governing board member
- Penny Fraumeni
- Retired Principal
- Henry E. Gonzales
- Education Finance Advisor
Election results
On November 5, 2013 candidates Penny Fraumeni, Joseph K. Chang, and G. Anthony Duarte defeated three challengers.
| Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Board of Education, At-large General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Penny Fraumeni |
22.8% | 3,097 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joseph K. Chang |
21.3% | 2,905 | |
| Nonpartisan | G. Anthony Duarte |
19.7% | 2,676 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeffrey De La Torre | 13.9% | 1,892 | |
| Nonpartisan | Henry E. Gonzales | 13% | 1,767 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bryan Coreas | 9.3% | 1,270 | |
| Total Votes | 13,607 | |||
| Source: Los Angeles County Clerk, "NOVEMBER 5, 2013 - LOCAL & MUNI CONSOLIDATED ELECTION Final Official Election Returns" accessed December 12, 2013 | ||||
Funding
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Election history
2011
On November 8, 2011, two seats on the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Board of Education were up for election. Candidates Jay F. Chen and Gino M. Kwok defeated four challengers.
| Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Board of Education, At-large General Election, 2011, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Jay F. Chen |
33.2% | 4,155 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gino M. Kwok |
26.2% | 3,272 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gloria Alderete | 23.8% | 2,976 | |
| Nonpartisan | Cindy Greenup | 12.2% | 1,521 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sandra Mary "Sandy" (Silversmith) Keat | 3.8% | 473 | |
| Nonpartisan | Rudolph C. Obad | 0.9% | 111 | |
| Total Votes | 12,508 | |||
| Source: Smart Voter.org, "Governing Board Member; Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Voter Information" accessed September 24, 2013 | ||||
What was at stake?
Three at-large seats were up for election on November 5, 2013, including the seat of the Board Clerk. Incumbents Anthony Duarte and Dr. Joseph K. Chang filed seeking re-election, they were opposed by four challengers.
Issues
District Attorney’s Investigation Probe
On September 19, 2013 District Attorney Jackie Lacey sent a letter requesting the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District present documents including economic interest forms filed by school board members Gino Kwok and Dr. Joseph Chang. The forms declare gifts or other compensation received from outsiders. The letter also requested forms related to a report on possible wrongdoing of the foreign exchange student program. The report detailed accounts of students being exposed to physical and verbal abuse as well as host homes with inadequate food and heating. The report focused on four trips Chang took to China with former school board member, Norman Hsu. Hsu is listed as the CEO of BELA Educational Group and was listed as paying for three of the four trips. BELA is a private company that charges students to attend local high schools. BELA would collect approimately $15,000 or more for a student to attend a local high school. Hacienda La Puente USD had one of the lowest tution fees at $12,900 with the board voting against raising tuition to $14,000, a vote which Chang and Kwok voted against. Hacienda La Puente hosted about 20 foreign exchange students from China. Chinese families paid about $30,000, including $15,000 for tuition, fees for SAT prep classes, visa processing, and room and board. Hsu served on the Hacienda La Puente school board for over 20 years, but declared he was not involved in any of the activities within the school district. At the September 25, 2013 meeting of the HLPUSD School Board, the board scheduled a censure of board member Chang.[4][5]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the El Rancho Unified School District election in 2013:[6]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 15, 2013 | First day to file a petition of candidacy |
| August 9, 2013 | Close of filing period for petition of candidacy |
| October 21, 2013 | Last day to register to vote in school election |
| October 29, 2013 | Final day to apply to vote by mail |
| November 5, 2013 | Election Day |
Additional elections on the ballot
The ballot for the November 5, 2013 election in Los Angeles County also featured elections for local and municipal positions, such as elections for City Clerk, City Treasurer, Mayor and City Council.[7]
See also
- California school board elections draw over 200 candidates
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- California
- El Rancho Unified School District, California
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Los Angeles County, California ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, California
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ US Census Bureau, "Los Angeles, California Quick Facts" accessed September 24, 2013
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedCensus1 - ↑ US Census Bureau, "Los Angeles, California Quick Facts" accessed September 23, 2013
- ↑ Steve Scauzillo San Gabriel Valley Tribune, "District Attorney investigating two Hacienda La Puente board members," September 25, 2013
- ↑ Cindy Chang LA Times, "Hacienda La Puente school board member criticized over China trips," September 25, 2013
- ↑ LA Votes, "TENTATIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS " accessed September 26, 2013
- ↑ LA Vote, "FINAL LIST OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT" accessed September 26, 2013
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