El Rancho Unified School District recall, California (2016)
| El Rancho Unified School District Board of Education recall |
|---|
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| Officeholders |
Jose Lara Gabriel Orosco |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2016 Recalls in California California recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall three members of the El Rancho Unified School District Board of Education was started in April 2016, but was unable to gather enough signatures to make it to the ballot. Board President Aurora Villon, Vice President Jose Lara, and member Gabriel Orosco were targeted for recall over a decision to put a new magnet school in the district's empty Selby Grove Elementary School building. Leaders of the recall effort said they were not against the magnet school, but they disagreed with the location and thought the money for it could be better used for other improvements. Villon, Lara, and Orosco said they were surprised by the recall effort and the pushback on the magnet school.[1][2]
Villon and Lara were both elected to serve four-year terms on the board in the general election on November 5, 2013. Orosco was elected to the board two years later on November 3, 2015. All three beat at least one incumbent to win their seats on the board.[3][4]
Both Lara and Orosco garnered support from outside organizations in their election bids. Lara was backed by the El Rancho Federation of Teachers and United Teachers Los Angeles, and Orosco was endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.[5][6][7]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was led by Sylvia Miro. She said the targeted school board members had not listened to their constituents. In early 2016, a number of community members had expressed concern about the magnet school plans. They questioned the timing of opening the school in the fall of 2016 and the condition of the Selby Grove Elementary School building. Some were also concerned that "district officials were not forthcoming about the plans for the new school," according to the Whittier News Daily.[1]
“We’re not against the new magnet high school, just that it should be at El Rancho High School and not at Selby, and the money used for it should be spent on improvements for El Rancho,” Miro said. Esther Mejia, a district parent and signer of the intent to recall, said board members thought the magnet school would be a "cure-all" for the district's falling enrollment. “It won’t be because 100 of the 125 spots for the new school have been promised to go to eighth-graders already enrolled in the district,” said Mejia.[1]
Recall opponents
The board first approved the creation of the magnet schools in 2014, when Orosco was not yet a member. It was part of a plan to start increasing enrollment in the district. The number of students attending the district had dropped each year since the 2002-2003 school year. That year, 12,333 students attended the district, and it fell to 9,376 for the 2013-2014 school year. Selby Grove Elementary School had been closed in 2008 and was open to be used as a new school. "Many districts who have magnet schools like the idea of having an autonomous, smaller school benefitting their students," Lara said.[1][8]
Orosco expressed surprise at being targeted for recall five months after winning a seat on the board in the general election on November 3, 2015. “Our district and our board are making progressive moves, and making changes that will benefit all in the long run. I didn’t understand or realize there was such vehemence against change,” said Orosco.[1]
Lara was also surprised by the recall effort. “We are making a lot of progress in the district, and it’s unfortunate there are a group of people who are not in favor of change,” said Lara. He went on to say, "Those who don’t want the change and are happy with the same old El Rancho may have ulterior motives, such as political ones."[1]
Villon also said the recall was a power play. “There’s a group of parents who haven’t gotten their way, and it’s come to this,” Villon said. “I cannot lose sleep over this and I will just go forward and focus on the progress the board is making in providing the best for all of our students.”[1]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
Villon and Orosco were served intent to recall paperwork at a school board meeting on April 19, 2016. Lara was absent from the meeting, but Miro said he would also be served paperwork within the week.[1] Recall supporters had until October 22, 2016, to circulate their petitions, but they were unable to meet that deadline.[2][9]
About the district
The El Rancho Unified School District is located in Los Angeles County in southwestern California. The county seat is Los Angeles.[10] Los Angeles County was home to 10,170,292 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[11] During the 2013-2014 school year, the El Rancho Unified School District was the 179th-largest school district by enrollment in California and served 9,376 students.[8]
Demographics
Los Angeles County underperformed compared to California as a whole in terms of higher education achievement, median household income, and percentage of people living below the poverty level from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 29.9 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 31.0 percent of state residents. The median household income for Los Angeles County was $55,870, compared to $61,489 for the entire state. The percentage of people below poverty level was 18.7 percent, compared to 16.4 percent statewide.[11]
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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.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'El Rancho Unified School District' recall. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- El Rancho Unified School District, California
- El Rancho Unified School District elections (2015)
- El Rancho Unified School District elections (2013)
- Recall campaigns in California
- Political recall efforts, 2016
- School board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Whittier Daily News, "Why some parents want to recall 3 El Rancho Unified school board members," April 20, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Mike Sanchez, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's Office," October 24, 2016
- ↑ Los Angeles County Clerk, "NOVEMBER 5, 2013 - LOCAL & MUNI CONSOLIDATED ELECTION Final Official Election Returns" accessed December 12, 2013
- ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "NOVEMBER 03, 2015 - LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL CONSOLIDATED ELECTIONS: Semi-Final Official Election Returns," accessed November 4, 2015
- ↑ SmartVoter.org, "Governing Board Member; El Rancho Unified School District Voter Information," accessed November 5, 2013
- ↑ Los Angeles County Democratic Party, "Endorsements," accessed October 27, 2015
- ↑ Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, "Endorsements," accessed October 27, 2015
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Mike Sanchez in the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's Office," September 22, 2016
- ↑ Geology.com, "California County Map with County Seat Cities," accessed July 1, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 United States Census Bureau, "Los Angeles County, California," accessed April 21, 2016
- ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Past Election Results," accessed July 1, 2014
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