Dr. Monte Perez, President of Mission College has announced that a Satellite Division of
Mission College is finally coming to the Sunland-Tujunga area to serve the local
comminutes in the eastern portion of the northeast valley. The funding is from the
Measure J Bond passed by the voters in 2007. Community members of the L.A. City
College Satellite site, which serves the Atwater/Glassell Park area, have held up the
Satellite, planned by Past College President Ernest Moreno and also supported by Past
President Judith Valles who succeeded him. Their community had filed a to a lawsuit
against the College District for lack of performance and the “J” funds were frozen as a
result. Before that time, a penultimate plan for the Mission College facility location and
classes had already been presented and approved at meetings with the Sunland-Tujunga
community before being frozen by the College District. Former President Moreno is now
an elected member of the College District Board of Trustees.
Community Colleges are under state jurisdiction and upon learning of the situation,
State Assembly Member Patty Lopez assigned her Education Representative, Louis
Lopez (no relation) to look into the issue and locate the funds for the promised Satellite.
A Committee was formed, backed by Assemblymember Lopez and the Sunland-
Tujunga Neighborhood Council, co-chaired by Nina Royal and Louis Lopez who set up a
meeting with Dr. Perez. Also included were committee members Mary Benson, David
Barron, Lilianna Sanchez, Mark Seigel and the Principals from Verdugo Hills, Sun
Valley and J.F.Polytechnic High Schools, whose students will benefit from the classes.
The objective is to have certificate classes for young students who want to learn a trade,
as well as adults who need to be retrained for other careers due to job obsolesce. Students
will be able to attend classes without traveling to Glendale, Pasadena or Valley Colleges
if classes they want are local.
Dr. Perez hopes to start classes in March. He was given a tour of the community by
Nina Royal and Cindy Cleghorn and will be making his recommendation for a temporary
site, before building a permanent facility, to the College District Board of Directors and
Facilities Manager.
Dr. Perez advises interested parties to visit: www.lamision.edu as soon as possible to see
Missions’ schedules of classes that are offered. You will be able to get an idea of what
they currently offer and you can express what your community would like to have offered
at the Satellite. If it is not on the current schedule, they will consider other options.
Please email your suggestions and comments, with copies to: Perez@lamission.edu,
Luis.Lopez@asm.ca.gov, NRoyal9259@aol.com.
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