Voters in three of the Orange County Board of Education's five districts will be asked on the March ballot to elect a representative to the board.
The seats are for:
- Area 1, which includes Fountain Valley, Santa Ana and portions of Garden Grove and Tustin
- Area 3, which includes Brea, Yorba Linda, Irvine, Orange, Villa Park, and parts of Anaheim, Lake Forest and Tustin
- Area 4, which includes Fullerton, Buena Park, La Habra, Placentia and parts of Anaheim
What does the Orange County Board of Education do?
The O.C. Board of Education is made up of five trustees elected to represent different parts of the county. The terms are for four years.
The board serves several important functions:
- It can approve charter schools, and it also oversees appeals when a local district denies a charter school application.
- It hears appeals over expulsions and requests for interdistrict transfers.
- It approves Local Control and Accountability Plans for individual school districts in the county. These plans are roadmaps for how a district will set goals and achieve them.
- It approves the budget for the Orange County Department of Education, but does not hire the superintendent, who is separately elected.
More OC Voter Guides
How to evaluate judges
- O.C. Superior Court: There are just three seats that are competitive this primary.
Head to LAist's Orange County Voter Game Plan for guides to the rest of your ballot including:
- O.C. County Board of Supervisors: Two of the five seats are on the ballot.
- Huntington Beach measures: Voters will decide on three measures.
- Orange Unified recall: Voters in this district will decide the fate of two conservative board members.
- Prop. 1: Here's a closer look at the proposal at the center of a debate over how to best help people struggling with mental health, drug and alcohol issues.
What's at stake?
The board of education, like some school districts in Orange County, has become a battleground for larger political debates over whether and how matters of race, gender and sexuality should be taught in schools.
The board sued California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration several times over the state mask mandate and lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Opponents say those lawsuits were a poor use of taxpayer money.
The role of charter schools in the public education landscape has also been a big issue for the board. The current board of education is largely supportive of charter schools.
Twenty-three of the county's 43 charter schools have been authorized by the county board of education. The others are managed by individual school districts (except for one overseen by the state board of education).
Area 1 candidates
Jorge Valdez
Jorge Valdez is the incumbent. He's a lawyer who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board of education in 2022.
Issues
Valdez highlights his role in authoring a "Parents Bill of Rights" policy on the board. The policy, which is included in the board's policy book, says parents should have full access to the curriculum taught in classrooms and the right to opt their kids opt out of some subjects. It also says parents should be informed of changes in their child's behavior, including changes in gender identity.
Valdez is a proponent of public charter schools and students' rights to transfer outside of their assigned district.
Endorsements
Valdez is endorsed by his fellow board of education trustees, Congresswoman Young Kim and O.C. Supervisor Don Wagner, among others.
Further reading
Beatriz Mendoza
Beatriz Mendoza has served as an executive of several nonprofit organizations, including YWCA Orange County and the California chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
Issues
In her official ballot statement, Mendoza says she is "deeply concerned about the direction" of the county board of education. She says she will prioritize student safety and success, renew a focus on students' mental health, and cut wasteful spending.
Endorsements
Mendoza is endorsed by the California Teachers Association, Orange County Labor Federation, and the Democratic Party of Orange County, among others.
Further reading
Area 3 candidates
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Williams is the incumbent. He's a physician who's been on the county school board since 1996.
Issues
In his official ballot statement, Williams says he opposes "radical sex education curriculums, Critical Race Theory, and 'woke' nonacademic educational curriculums.”
He says he will promote parental choice and strong charter schools.
He also says he will protect the Proposition 13 property tax limit and oppose new taxes.
Recently, a 20-year-old O.C. resident filed a civil lawsuit against Williams for allegedly throwing him to the ground and choking him in a road rage incident. In response to questions about the incident, he told Voice of OC: "The woke left attacks me because I am pro-law enforcement, and oppose defunding the police or weakening criminal laws."
Endorsements
Williams is endorsed by his fellow members of the board of education, U.S. Reps. Michelle Steel and Kim, and O.C. Supervisor Wagner, among others.
Further reading
Nancy Watkins
Nancy Watkins is a former high school teacher and director of the Educational Doctoral Program at California State University, Fullerton.
Issues
Watkins says she will bring a new perspective to the board of education. She says she'll prioritize fiscal responsibility, ensuring students are proficient in core subjects, and ensuring the board remains accountable to parents.
Endorsements
Watkins is endorsed by the California Teachers Association, Orange County Labor Federation, and a number of local school district officials, among others.
Further reading
Area 4 candidates
Tim Shaw
Tim Shaw is the incumbent. He was first elected to the board in 2020 and previously served on the La Habra City Council for 13 years.
Issues
In his official ballot statement, Shaw says his achievements include approving the "Parents Bill of Rights," approving more charter schools, and ensuring fiscal responsibility. He says he'll fight to keep the state "from injecting politics into our classrooms."
Endorsements
Shaw is endorsed by his fellow members of the board of education, U.S. Reps. Steel and Kim, and other local Republican leaders.
Further reading
David Johnson
David Johnson is a Westminster School District trustee and a former vice chancellor at Pepperdine University.
Issues
In his official ballot statement, Johnson says he is running to "stop the political wars in our schools" and to stop what he called “frivolous” lawsuits by the board. Johnson says he will prioritize safe schools, reducing class sizes and making sure all kids excel, including those with special needs.
Endorsements
He is endorsed by the California Teachers Association, California School Employees Association and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, among others.
Further reading
More Voter Guides
- Orange County Board of Supervisors: The winners of Districts 1 and 3 will join a five-member board that oversees a county of about 3 million residents with an annual budget of about $9 billion.
- Orange County Superior Court judges: There are three competitive races for the bench.
Head to LAist's OC Voter Game Plan for guides to the rest of your ballot including:
- Measure D: Evaluating the initiative that asks Irvine voters to expand the city council and redistribute its powers.
- Huntington Beach Measures A, B and C: A closer look at a trio of measures aiming to reshape Surf City.
- Orange Unified: Two board members face recall
- Orange County Board of Education: Three of five seats are up for grabs
- Orange County State Assembly: Meet the candidates vying for these nine seats
- Orange County State Senate: A look at the key races on the ballot
- Prop. 1: Here's a closer look at the proposal at the center of a debate over how to best help people struggling with mental health, drug and alcohol issues.
- U.S. Congress: A look at the Southern California races
- U.S. Senate: Who will replace the late Dianne Feinstein?
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