Before You Vote: School Board Recap

Residents will see the names of three school board candidates—challenger and incumbents and —on Tuesday's ballot.

• Meet Bejamin Figueroa
• Meet Joe Loo
• Meet Richard Sonner

Before you vote, get up-to-date on where each of the candidates stand on various issues. We asked:

• What are the top issues facing SPUSD, and how do you plan to address them?
• Does SPUSD put too much pressure on students to succeed?
• SPUSD has a history of academic success. How would you help maintain this?
• What do you think are the best ideas for development of the SPUSD parking lot, and how do they fit with any downtown redevelopment?
• What would your priorities be when budget cuts have to be made?

And last but not least: What else would you like South Pas residents to know about you?

Joe Loo

With my experience, common sense approach and commitment to our kids, I will continue to work to prepare our students for the future. I look forward to hearing from you, and I hope I have earned your support.

Ben Figueroa 

I wish to let my neighbors know that my family and I feel extremely blessed to live in South Pasadena. While outsiders may feel attracted to the physical beauty of the City—such as our Craftsmen homes, and the great reputation of our schools—we appreciate the people and its diversity. We feel that in many ways our small town transcends issues that divide other communities. 

The basic requirement that we have come to appreciate and live by is simple: Everyone that takes from the community has to give back to the community. It requires that we all take stock of whatever resources we may have available (professional experience, funds, time, energy); that we have the commitment and passion to give of yourself unselfishly to our community; and that we “neighbor up” and do our share. 

We have taught our kids from a young age that our family volunteers and that our family always answers the call for help from our community and our neighbors. Many universities have the principle of “Learning by Doing.” We are proud and feel fortunate that South Pasadena is our home and are always aiming to abide by the unwritten principle of “Living by Doing.”

Please contact me directly on my cell at (626) 375-9585 to talk about education in South Pasadena; let’s get together in person, or online via Facebook, Linked In, and/or Twitter.

Richard Sonner

I am committed to public education as a vital part of our society and our democratic process. And I have a personal interest in our local success, since all four of my children are students in our district.

Check back with Patch for a City Council recap and a list of polling places.