State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Honors 2025 California Classified School Employees of the Year

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond honored nine outstanding classified school employees today for their dedication to California’s public school students. Nearly 100 people attended the special event in downtown Sacramento to honor the Classified School Employee of the Year (CSEY) winners, including the honorees and other classified school employees, superintendents, principals, administrators, and the event sponsors: the California School Employees Association (CSEA), SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, and the California State Lottery.

“I share my sincere thanks to these individuals for being such selfless parts of our school system. When people say it takes a village to raise a child, it’s true. Our classified school employees are a critical part of that village,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “They are the backbone of public education. Their hard work is what makes learning possible for our students.”

The following classified employees were honored for 2025:

Clerical and Administrative Services: Maria (Lisa) Lopez, School Community Advisor, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Oceanside Unified School District, San Diego County (nine years of service in current position)

Custodial and Maintenance Services: Kurtland Lucas, Head Custodian, Crosby Elementary School, Garden Grove Unified School District, Orange County (seven years of service in current position)

Food and Nutrition Services: Melissa Erman, Nutrition Operations Supervisor, Food and Nutrition Services Department, Huntington Beach Union High School District, Orange County (seven years of service in current position)

Health and Student Services: Amrita Vu, Lead Therapist, Los Gatos High School, Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District, Santa Clara County (six years of service in current position)

Paraprofessional Services: Gerardo Buenrostro, Paraeducator, Barbara Worth Junior High School, Brawley Elementary School District, Imperial County (10 years of service in current position)

Security Services: Pamela Larsen, School Security, Jefferson Middle School, San Gabriel Unified School District, Los Angeles County (seven years of service in current position)

Skilled Trades Services: Gina Matz Chapman, Painter, Fullerton School District, Orange County (18 years of service in current position)

Technical Services: Bryan Cooper, Theater Production Specialist, Folsom High School, Folsom-Cordova Unified School District, Sacramento County (10 years of service in current position)

Transportation Services: Jane Pina, Special Education Bus Attendant, Washington Unified School District Transportation Department, Yolo County (12 years of service in current position)

Learn more about these Classified School Employees of the year in the CDE April 29 news release.

The annual Classified School Employees of the Year (CSEY) program honors outstanding classified school employees in the following categories: Clerical and Administrative Services, Custodial and Maintenance Services, Food and Nutrition Services, Health and Student Services, Paraprofessional Services, Security Services, Skilled Trades Services, Technical Services, and Transportation Services. This year’s recipients were chosen from 135 nominations statewide.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100