On Saturday, April 2, South Whittier School District appointed Mr. Francisco Santana as Board Member of Trustee Area 1 due to the resignation of Mrs. Deborah Pacheco on February 2, 2022.
Mr. Santana, who was born and raised in South Whittier, was a previous South Whittier Board member from 2013 to 2018. He decided to apply for the open Board position due to his desire to help close the achievement gap brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and to help students get the additional support needed to make that happen.
“I know that these next few years will be very important in trying to fix that learning gap that was created due to COVID,” Santana shared. “We need to ensure that the students in our community get the additional support they need to adjust back to a normal learning environment. It’s time for all hands on deck and I was inspired to do my part to help the students in our community close this gap and get this additional support.”
Santana stated that he had already decided he would run for a Board seat in the next election. However, with a current Board seat open, he decided to apply for the position.
“I had made the decision to run again this November hoping that my experience can assist in some way if elected. The opening of this Board position allowed me to at least do my part over the next couple of months until the election is held.”
Mr. Santana hopes to bring a different perspective to the table. He is a former South Whittier student, a lifetime community member, a 10+ year Union Member, and a current financial analyst.
“I hope that my desire to truly bring success to every one of our students is felt throughout the district. And lastly, I hope that at the end of my term I will see a long lasting positive change in our district that will include improved test scores, an increase in parent involvement, and a better connection with our surrounding community which will hopefully all lead to an influx in student enrollment.”