Hacienda La Puente Unified board removes President Stephanie Serrano and reorganizes leadership

The Hacienda La Puente Unified School District board voted Sept. 3 to remove Board President Stephanie Serrano and to reorganize its officer positions, appointing Gina Kwok as president, Adriana Quinones as vice president and Nancy Loera as clerk.

The action followed a special meeting dominated by public comment and sustained debate about how trustees have conducted meetings and whether Serrano’s recent actions — including the removal of other trustees at a prior meeting and handling of accommodations — warranted removal. Legal counsel outlined the parliamentary steps for removal and reappointment before the board proceeded with motions and roll-call votes.

Why it matters: The reorganization changes control of the board’s agenda-setting roles and comes amid ongoing disputes over meeting conduct, ADA accommodations, and what Serrano described as investigations into alleged fiscal misconduct. Community members—teachers, union leaders and students—filled much of the hourlong public‑comment period, sharply divided over whether the board’s action is necessary governance or political retaliation.

What happened: Legal counsel told the board that each change must be taken in sequence: a motion, a second and a roll-call vote to remove an officer, followed by motions and roll calls to declare offices vacant and to appoint successors. The board then moved to remove Serrano as president. After discussion and a successful procedural motion to end debate, trustees voted on the removal:

- Jeffrey Dela Torre — Yes - Nancy Loera — Yes - Adriana Quinones — No - Gino (Geno) Kwok — Yes - Stephanie Serrano — Abstain

The motion passed (3 yes, 1 no, 1 abstention) and the presidency was declared vacant.

The board next declared the vice president and clerk offices vacant and then proceeded to nominations and appointments. Gino/Geno Kwok was nominated and confirmed as president; Adriana Quinones was confirmed as vice president (4 yes, 1 abstention); and Nancy Loera was confirmed as clerk (3 yes, 1 abstention, 1 no). The board adjourned after members delivered brief comments.

Voices at the meeting: Dozens of community members addressed the board during public comment. Margaret Caldera, CSEA chapter president, said the removal item “is written as if the vote has already been decided before the board meeting, which is improper procedure.” Danny Tucker, president of the Hacienda La Puente Teachers Association, urged civility: “Please just knock it off,” and asked trustees to focus on students. Stephanie Serrano denied breaking the law and said the effort to remove her was retaliation tied to legal matters she had pursued: “I didn’t break the law,” she said, and framed recent actions as part of efforts to expose what she described as corruption and misuse of public funds.

Board members framed their votes variously as necessary to restore orderly governance and to allow the board to complete district business. Legal counsel repeatedly reminded trustees that individual board members do not have unilateral authority and that the unit of authority is the board, not any single trustee.

What wasn’t decided: The meeting did not result in any policy change beyond officer reassignments. Trustees discussed, but did not resolve, the underlying legal and investigatory matters Serrano referenced; those reportedly will proceed through the district’s legal process.

Next steps: Newly appointed officers will hold the board’s leadership roles for the remainder of the term; trustees and staff said more internal follow-up and legal review will continue. The board adjourned and did not schedule additional action on the items discussed that evening.

This report is based solely on the board’s Sept. 3, 2025 special meeting transcript and the statements made there. Votes and direct quotations are drawn from the roll calls and speaker statements recorded at the meeting.