Parents elect Rebecca Garcia Kino as DPAC president; Alma Romero and Jorge Alvarado win other officer posts

At a District Parent Advisory Council meeting, members elected Rebecca Garcia Kino as president, Elma Romero as vice president and Jorge Alvarado as secretary.

Julie, who led the meeting, explained the nominations and voting process and invited nominees to introduce themselves before the group voted by in-room thumbs-up and chat reactions. After observing unanimous or overwhelming thumbs-up support, Julie declared Rebecca Garcia Kino elected president, Romero elected vice president and Jorge elected secretary.

Rebecca Garcia Kino, who introduced herself as a parent and El Camino College student, told attendees she wanted to be “a little bit more involved with my kids’ education” and to advocate for students as president. Elma Romero — who described long-standing involvement in the Lawndale community, service on the Mark Twain PTA and neighborhood organizing — said her flexible work schedule and bilingual skills would help her serve. Jorge introduced himself as a preschool parent and accepted the secretary nomination.

The meeting used simple, informal voting: in-person attendees raised thumbs up or down while remote attendees used chat icons. Julie confirmed votes visually and in chat before announcing each result.

The newly elected officers will take part in DPAC’s work advising on Title I spending and providing parent feedback for the district Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). The group’s next organizational steps include collecting contact information and scheduling follow-up planning with district staff.

The meeting ended shortly after the elections; organizers asked the newly elected officers to stay after the session for photos and contact details.