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Members of the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District’s (HLPUSD) Board of Education on April 9 unanimously adopted a resolution commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Asbarez reports.

The resolution encourages all district schools to learn more about the history of the Armenian Genocide and to observe the month of April with appropriate programs and activities. The resolution passed by HLPUSD also calls upon the Republic of Turkey to acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide and urges work to a just resolution.

“The Armenian Genocide claimed the lives of 1.5 million men, women, and children,” stated HLPSD Board President Anthony Duarte. “I introduced this resolution because we owe it to those 1.5 million people to ensure every student in Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, regardless of ethnicity or national origin, is made aware of and educated about the Armenian Genocide so that atrocities like this may never happen again.”

“I have been a long-time ally of the Armenian-American community and have worked closely with many Armenian-American leaders throughout the San Gabriel Valley over the years. I am committed to continue working with community groups, non-profit organizations, and other leaders to ensure greater understanding of the Armenian Genocide in our schools,” Duarte said.

The Hacienda La Puente Unified School District is the largest district in the San Gabriel Valley. HLPUSD serves more than 40,000 students ranging from pre-school through adult education. The district’s boundaries include portions of the cities of Industry, La Puente, and West Covina, and the unincorporated Los Angeles County areas of Hacienda Heights and Valinda. It has about 1,500 certificated and 1,200 classified employees with an annual budget of almost $200 million.