Board Appoints New Trustee, Filling Trustee Cho's Vacant Seat

The Jefferson Union High School District Governing Board devoted much of last week's meeting to celebrating the people who make its schools work — from a student leader with a 4.24 GPA to a coach whose 40-year career has shaped generations of athletes. But the board also tackled urgent policy updates on immigration enforcement and student privacy, heard impressive academic gains at Jefferson High, and began the delicate process of filling a vacant board seat.

• Board unanimously supports naming Westmore High School track after Coach Ron DiMaggio, with a formal resolution returning at the next meeting

• Jefferson High posts 7% CAASPP math improvement and narrows achievement gaps to near parity across all student subgroups

• Five board policies get first reads, including new immigration enforcement protections under AB 495 that bar staff from collecting student immigration status

• Four candidates interviewed for Trustee Martin Cho's vacant seat, with LaSaundra Gutter appointed to serve through November 2026

• Orgullo y Educacion (OYE) Conference returns March 28 at Cañada College with student-chosen "Resilient and Strong" theme

Six public commenters spanning graduating classes from 1985 to a current student athlete testified in support of naming the Westmore High School track after Coach Ron DiMaggio, who has coached cross country and track at the school for more than 40 years.