By Brandon Yung
Staff Writer
The South Pasadena School Board swore in recently-elected members Dr. Suzie Abajian and Mr. Jon Primuth on Tuesday, December 8. Topics discussed by the board during the meeting included concerns over state budget projections and updates concerning future facility upgrades.
The new additions to the board were decided by South Pasadena citizens during the November municipal elections, and are now beginning their terms. Sonner had decided to step down from the board when his term ended, while Loo lost the reelection to both Abajian and Primuth. The new members were immediately presented with some of the issues that the district faces.
During the meeting, the board closely examined the budget issues that face SPUSD; the board cited the outdated HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems that are currently being used amongst other examples of monetary restraint. The board also discussed possible facility upgrades in the future to better accommodate the increasing student population, a process evident with the newly erected portable classrooms on the practice field of the high school.
Abajian cites her extensive educational background to help deal with some of the issues that face the board. While Abajian’s viewpoints are shaped by years of pedagogy, Primuth draws upon his experiences from being both a parent and the president of the South Pasadena Educational Foundation, an organization that supports South Pasadena schools.
“I have been paying attention to some of these problems for a long time,” Primuth said. “The budget problems we face are tough, but it’s nothing I think we can’t overcome.”
