Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board of Education President Mary Wells has been appointed to the Executive Board of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association (LACSTA), where she will serve a one-year term as Secretary-Treasurer. Created in 1937 by the county superintendent of schools, LACSTA is an organization comprised of school board members with trustees from nearly 90% of school and community college districts in the county. LACSTA, which operates under the auspices of the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), offers training, information, and networking opportunities to school board members. Board Vice President, Noah Margo, was selected by the board earlier this year to serve as the annual representative to the LACSTA for BHUSD.
“It’s really about sharing information, understanding what the issues are that the different districts are facing, and then bringing speakers or addressing those kinds of broader issues,” Wells told the Courier.
According to Wells, the executive board, sets the direction for the programming and how the association is run. The board typically meets once a month, and meetings are hosted by different districts in the county. Recently, the executive board created a subcommittee for legislative advocacy, which could potentially work with LACOE on future legislative issues.
“Part of our strategic plan is also about having our district be more visible,” Wells told the Courier. “So, I was really excited about this opportunity because it also allows for our district to have representation with the executive board, and as an officer that gives us a bigger voice.” Serving alongside Wells on the 2022-23 LACSTA executive board as President is Tina Fredericks, from the Pasadena school district, and Vice President Jeffrey De La Torre from the Hacienda La Puente school district.
At its most recent Oct. 3 meeting, the topic centered around employee retention–an ongoing challenge facing many school districts in the county, Wells said. Held at the LACOE offices in Downey, guest speakers with insight and analysis included Dr. Alicia Aceves, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Support Services for the East Whittier City School District and Dr. Maria Martinez-Poulin, Deputy Superintendent at LACOE.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be appointed to the Executive Board of LACSTA as Secretary-Treasurer and to represent BHUSD as an officer of the Executive Board,” Wells told the Courier. “I look forward to working closely with the Executive Board, including LACOE and the California School Boards Association, to support the mission of LACSTA and serve the members of LACSTA for the advancement of public education.”
