"The foundation of every state is the education of its youth."
--- Diogenes
The 2026 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board elections are shaping up to be one of the most consequential -- and least competitive -- school board races in recent memory. With labor unrest rising, enrollment falling, and school closures looming, voters might expect a crowded field of challengers. Instead, they are getting the opposite: quiet races, thin opposition, and decisions that could reshape public education in Los Angeles for years to come.
This does not seem to be a good time to be an incumbent on the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) School Board. Discontent was already brewing after the Superintendent's contract was renewed in a unanimous vote taken with limited public input. Negotiations with the District's largest union, UTLA-- which represents teachers-- have deteriorated to the point that members voted to authorize a strike. More turmoil may be on the horizon, with the Board President warning that school closures could be necessary due to declining enrollment.
In the midst of this chaos, elections will be held this year for LAUSD's even-numbered districts. This has all the makings of a "throw the bums out" type of election. However, with candidate filing beginning on February 2, there is a notable lack of challengers.
During the filing period for these same seats four years ago, 17 potential candidates registered to collect signatures that allowed them to appear on the ballot. As of publication, only five people have registered with the Los Angeles City Ethics Committee for June's election.
Given the stakes, perhaps there are organized candidates with backing already in place who are holding on until the last possible moment to mount a challenge. This would allow them to avoid incoming fire before entering the final stretch. Board Member Scott Schmerelson successfully followed this strategy when he took on Tamar Galatzan and won her seat in 2015.
The filing period will end on February 7, 2026. At that time, we will know who is collecting signatures to appear on the ballot.
Breakdown of the Races in the Even-Numbered Districts Board District 2:Of the five people who collected enough signatures to appear on the 2022 primary election ballot, Rocio Rivas and Maria Brenes were the two top vote-getters and moved on to the runoff. In the general election, Rivas won and assumed the seat held by the term-limited Monica Garcia, shifting overall control of the Board to supporters of public education.
In that election, Raquel Zamora collected enough signatures to appear on the ballot and paid the filing fee but withdrew five days later. No explanation was provided for this "very difficult" decision. However, she has filed paperwork with the Los Angeles City Ethics Committee to run again this year and, so far, is Rivas' only challenger.
A list of questions has been submitted to Zamora regarding her candidacy, but answers have not been received as of publication.
As of December 31, 2025, Rivas has raised $48,051 from 131 donations and spent $39,636. Five donors have contributed the maximum donation of $1,500: Associated Administrators of Los Angeles PAC Committee, LAUSD Administrator Victor R Gomez, Caloza for Assembly 2026, Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation Workers Local Union 105 PAC, and Local Union 11, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Zamora has not yet filed any financial statements with the Ethics Committee.
Board District 4:Nick Melvoin was the first of the incumbents to draw a challenger for this election, but that person dropped out of the race.
So far running unopposed, Melvoin has raised the most money in the campaign: $160,830, of which he has only spent $29,311. Of the 201 donations made to the campaign, 75 contributed the maximum amount of $1,500. These include the Charter Public Schools PAC, Los Angeles Charter Advocates for Great Public Schools, and privatizer Bill Bloomfield (a donor whose contribution exceeding the legal limit was later refunded, according to filings). It should be noted that one of the responsibilities of school board members is to hold charter schools accountable for the public funds they receive.
Board District 6:As it stands today, the race in the Board District covering the eastern portion of the San Fernando Valley will pit incumbent Kelly Gonez against long-time special education activist John 'J.P.' Perron. Gonez, who blocked the Special Education and Parent Engagement Committees from meeting when she served as School Board President during the COVID shutdowns, was endorsed by the CCSA Advocates (California Charter School Association) when she originally won the seat in 2017. Perron is endorsed by the East Area Progressive Democrats, known for their support of public 'school'-focused candidates.
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