Oak Park hires two high school administrators

by Daniel Wolowiczdanielw@theacorn.com

The Oak Park Unified School District has announced the hiring of two new high school administrators.

Lou Tabone will take over as the district’s Director of Alternative Education, replacing longtime high school Principal Millie Andress. Larry Boone will replace Pam Magee as assistant principal at Oak Park High School.

Tabone will oversee Oak View High School, the district’s continuation high school, and Oak Park Independent School, the program that helps monitor homeschooled students.

“It’s such an outstanding district,” Tabone said. “I plan to listen, learn and nurture what’s already being done in the programs.”

Tabone, an Oak Park resident since 1988, has spent his 30-year career working with at-risk teens in continuation high schools. Currently, Tabone monitors a number of continuation high schools as a principal with the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

Raised in western New York, Tabone received his bachelor’s from Fredonia State College and earned his specialist and administrative credentials from Cal State Fresno and Cal State Los Angeles, respectively. He also has a master’s from Northeastern University in Boston.

Tabone was hired as an administrator in 1984 and became a principal in 1987. Tabone and his wife, Ruby, have two children in the Oak Park Unified School District.

Boone comes to Oak Park High School with 11 years of experience in education. Presently wrapping up his master’s in administration from UCLA, Boone teaches at the Accelerated Charter School in South Central Los Angeles.

Boone holds multiple positions at the highly acclaimed charter school. Not only is he an English teacher, but works as the school’s athletic director and the student activities coordinator. In addition, Boone coached football and track.

“We are very excited about Larry joining us,” said Oak Park’s Principal Lynn McCormack. “His ability to develop positive working relationships makes him a real asset. He has lots of professional experience and a broad base of knowledge.”

A Los Angeles native, Boone graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s in English and received his master’s in education from Pepperdine.

“The people I’ve met here have made me feel like family,” Boone said. He plans to move from Los Angeles to Oak Park during the summer and will begin working at the high school in early July.

Andress will retire to North Carolina and Magee was hired as the principal for Culver City High School.