Wave Staff Report
CULVER CITY — When three new members of the Culver City school board were sworn in to office last month, it signaled a number of important firsts and underscored the district’s continued celebration of diversity.
Board member Stephanie Loredo became the first Filipina American elected to any elective office on Los Angeles’ Westside and was selected as the board’s parliamentarian for the coming year. Los Angeles County has the most residents of Filipino descent outside of the Philippines, including 30,000 students.
Loredo previously served as member of the Culver City Unified School District Local Control Accountability Plan Partner Advisory Council. She was sworn by district Superintendent Quoc Tran.
Board member Brian Guerrero took the oath of office in two languages. Superintendent Quoc Tran administered the oath in English, while Guerrero’s son, Maxwell, administered it in Spanish,
At 19, new board member Triston Ezidore became the youngest elected public official in the history of Los Angeles County and the first Black male to serve on the Culver City school board. The significance of his achievement was not lost on him.
“When looking at the data, we are underserving Black boys in education as a whole,” said Ezidore, who added that he hopes to serve as an advocate for Black boys and help improve their educational experience. Currently, 11.4% of district students are Black.
The son of Vietnamese and Jamaican immigrants, Ezidore, a Culver City High School graduate who will serve as the board’s clerk for the coming year, was sworn in by U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager and was presented with a certificate from Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang’s Office.
“At a time when we talk a great deal about celebrating diversity, this new board will provide a unique look at how best to serve our students and families, bringing their varied backgrounds and experiences to the table as we work collaboratively to create the best learning environment possible,” Superintendent Tran said. “I look forward to working with our entire board and am excited about what the future holds for Culver City Unified School District.”
The historical significance of the new board’s installation was noted throughout the region. In addition to Kamlager, outgoing Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin and a representative of County Assessor Jeffrey Prang’s office joined newly elected Culver City Councilman Freddy Puza, Vice Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin and former Culver City council members Alex Fisch and Meghan Sahli-Wells at the swearing-in ceremony.
Board President Paula Amezola welcomed the three new board members.