Donald E. LaPlante

Mr. Donald E. LaPlante, a long-time resident of the City of Downey, retired from his service as a member of the Board of Education of the Downey Unified School District representing Trustee Area No. 4 in December of 2020. He served on the Board from 1979 to 2020. He was elected to ten terms on the Board, in years 1979, 1983, 1987,1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015.
During his tenure on the Board of Education, Donald has served six times as president of the board; six times as vice president and six times as clerk. He has been a member of both the Budget and Audit Committees and has served on each for over 15 years. Mr. LaPlante has also been actively involved in school board organizations during his time on the Board. In 2012, he was elected by his colleagues in the southern part of Los Angeles County as director for Region 24 of the California School Boards Association. Previously, he served as a member of the Delegate Assembly for the California School Boards Association for 28 years.
From 1997 to 1998, he served as president of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, representing all the almost 500 school trustees in the county. Prior to that he served as vice president, secretary/treasurer and as a director of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association.
Professionally, Mr. 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 more than twenty years. He received three awards from the PTSA at Northview Intermediate School in Duarte for his 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 speaking students. Donald 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.
Prior to becoming a teacher, Mr. LaPlante held a managerial position in the printing industry for over twelve years. He has lived in Downey for more than 55 years and is a graduate of Warren High School in Downey. He was honored by the Downey Unified School District in 2007 when it named the new science building on the Warren High School Campus as Donald E. LaPlante Hall.
Donald E. LaPlante officially retired in December 2020 after more than 41 years as a member of the Board of Education of the Downey Unified School District.


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