Voting Will Affect Future Education in San Gabriel

As newlyweds, almost 40 years ago, we chose to buy in San Gabriel because of its highly respected school system, a reputation it still enjoys from kindergarten through eighth grade. However, San Gabriel High School is part of the Alhambra School District, and by the time our children reached ninth grade, SGHS was too overcrowded to provide the quality of education we had experienced in the San Gabriel school system.

Counselors were so heavily overloaded that they could barely provide counsel for those students who were “flunking out or were disciplinary problems,” to quote one daughter. Another daughter had to go to night school outside of SGHS because classes she needed or wanted were overcrowded.

We have no school-age children now, but we are still vitally interested in unification for San Gabriel schools because: 1) The education of our children is the primary asset for the future of our community and nation, and 2) Our property investment is at risk.

We would not consider buying in San Gabriel today unless the school system were unified. We would more likely look in Temple City or South Pasadena. Neighbors are turning to private schools or are moving out of the district--a tragic loss to us.

The election on April 14 gives us the opportunity to assume the responsibility for our own children’s education from kindergarten through high school.

DOROTHY COCHRAN

San Gabriel