Juarez Elementary Student Places 3rd in L.A. County Spelling Bee Competition

Kearne Permalino, a sixth-grader at Benito Juarez Elementary School in Cerritos, finished third in today's Los Angeles County Elementary Spelling Bee.

Kearne who was eliminated when he misspelled puerile, faced off against 23 fellow school district and charter school champions at Almansor Court Conference Center in Alhambra on Wednesday afternoon.

The ABC Unified School District student and the top two finishers received trophies and savings bonds.

Yeri Kim, a sixth-grader from Valley View Elementary School in La Crescenta, won the competition by correctly spelling perforate and pendiculation to conclude the competition. Cooper Komatsu, a fifth-grader from El Marino Language School in Culver City, finished second. 

The top two students qualify for the California State Elementary Spelling Bee Championship, which will be held April 20 at the San Joaquin County Office of Education in Stockton.

The bee, which is held for students from fourth through sixth grades, lasted for 19 rounds and nearly 90 minutes.

Juarez Elementary School is located at 11939 Aclare St. in Cerritos. 

- City News Service contributed to this report.