Donald LaPlante
Director, Region 24, Downey USD
Donald E. LaPlante, a board member in the Downey Unified School District, is the Region 24 Director of the California School Boards Association, representing the southern section of Los Angeles County. He was elected to the Board in December 2012.
LaPlante, a member of the Board of Education of the Downey Unified School District representing Trustee Area # 4, has served on the Board since December 1979, having been elected to nine terms. He is currently serving his sixth term as Board President.
He has also been actively involved in school board organizations during his time on the Board. He had been elected by his colleagues in Region 24 to the CSBA Delegate Assembly 14 times and has served as a member of this body for over 27 years. For the last ten years, he has served as Parliamentarian for the Delegate Assembly meetings. He also served a two-year term on the CSBA Legislative Committee.
During 1997-1998, he served as President of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, representing all of the almost 500 school trustees in the county. Prior to that he served as Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer and as a director of the Association. He continues to serve as a member of the Board of Directors as a Past President.
Professionally, LaPlante retired from teaching English and United States history for the Duarte Unified School District. He taught at the seventh and eighth grade level for over twenty years. He received three awards from the PTSA at Northview Intermediate School in Duarte for service to the school and the students, including a Continuing Service Award. He holds credentials for the teaching of English and social science and is certified to provide instruction to limited-English students. He also holds a credential in school administration.
A graduate of the University of Southern California with majors in political science and journalism, he also holds a master's degree in educational leadership from Point Loma Nazarene University. He did work for his teaching credential at California State University, Long Beach. He graduated from Warren High School in the Downey Unified School District, where he lived for over 50 years.