Across the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier areas, several school board governing seats were up for grabs on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
By Wednesday, the picture for many local seats became more clear as the Los Angeles County Registrar released new batches of updates on the results.
Whoever wins those seats will face several concerns, ranging from declining enrollment and state funding issues to how that funding should be allocated within a given district.
They’ll also be making policy on how to keep campuses safe and how to maintain and upgrade aging facilities.
Voters weighed in on Tuesday.
Here are the community college and school district board races in the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier that were on the ballot Tuesday, according to the semi-official results of the Nov. 5 election, which the Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office updated around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICTS
Citrus Community College, Governing Board, Trustee Area No. 5
Fernando Villegas, a commissioner and educator; Virginia Villegas, a nurse practitioner and educator; and Randa B. Wahbe, a professor, are running for the seat in the Glendora community college, which serves five communities including Azusa, Claremont, Duarte, Glendora and Monrovia.
Wahbe led the race with 39.51% of the vote, followed by Fernando Villegas with 33.82% and Virginia Villegas, 26.67%.
Mt. San Antonio Community College District, Governing Board, Trustee Area 5
Joseph K. Chang, a professor, is challenging Jay Chen, a governing board member for the seat.
Chen appears to have the lead with 67.02% of the votes counted. The challenger Chang gained 32.98% of the votes.
LIVE ELECTION RESULTS: See a chart of the latest vote count
Rio Hondo Community College, Governing Board, Trustee Area 4
Kristal Orozco, a governing board member, is facing a challenge from Gary Mendez, instructor/school board member.
Orozco had 56.78% of the votes compared to Mendez with 43.22%.
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Baldwin Park Unified School District Governing Board
There are 10 candidates running for four seats in Baldwin Park Unified. One of the 4 seats is a special election for an unexpired seat.
Baldwin Park Unified School District, Governing Board, special election, unexpired seat
Annalynn C. Apolinario, appointed incumbent, is challenging Norma Olmos, parent/city commissioner, for the unexpired term seat that is ending on Dec. 11, 2026.
Olmos gained 56.33% of the votes and Apolinario was at 43.67%.
Baldwin Park Unified School District, Governing Board Member
There are eight candidates running for three seats on the Baldwin Park Unified Governing Board. Three of the candidates are incumbents. Voters are asked to vote for no more than 3 candidates.
In the running are Christina M. Lucero, incumbent; Diana Miranda-Dzib, incumbent; Santos Hernandez Jr., incumbent; Ricardo Vazques, teacher; Yvonne S. Juarez, teacher/parent; Kevin Patrick Rooney, retired baker; Jose Mari Mata, educator/school administrator; Itzel Guadalupe Herrera, no occupation listed.
Vazques had the lead with 17.88% of the vote; followed by Juarez at 16.75%; Mata, 16.29%; Lucero, 15.05%; Miranda-Dzib, 11.97%; Hernandez, 11.35%; Herrera, 5.63% and Rooney with 5.09%.
Bassett Unified School District, Governing Board Member
The race for Bassett Unified School District pits two incumbents against two challenges for two at-large seats. Voters are asked to vote for no more than two candidates.
Norma Gonzalez, special education teacher; Samuel W. Brown, community organizer; Dena Florez, board president, Bassett Unified School District; Armando Barajas, governing board member, Bassett Unified School District
Florez led with 30.11% of the votes; followed by Gonzalez with 29.71%; Barajas with 24.12% and Brown with 16.05%.
Bonita Unified School District, Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 4
Greg Palatto, board member, Bonita Unified School District, is being challenged by Eli J. Tirado, retired systems analyst.
The incumbent, Palatto, led with 67.69% of the votes, edging out Tirado with 32.31% of the votes.
Bonita Unified School District, Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 5
Brittany Allison, nonprofit executive/parent, is running against Mark Arvidson, professor/parent/businessman, for the seat.
Allison led with 52.28% of the vote, with Arvidson in second with 47.72%.
Claremont Unified School District, Governing Board, Trustee Area 5
Cheryl Fiello, businesswoman, and Mark Reynoso, businessman/parent/coach, are vying for the seat.
Fiello had 51.69% of the vote, followed by Reynoso with 48.31%.
Covina-Valley Unified School District, Governing Board, Trustee Area 1
Sue L. Maulucci, incumbent, is being challenged by Steve Bennett, businessman/area manager, for the seat.
Maulucci led with 50.41% compared with Bennett with 49.59% of the vote.
Covina-Valley Unified School Board, Governing Board, Trustee Area 3
Barbara Campos, no occupation listed, is running against Maria Elizabeth Cruz, social work doctor, for the seat.
Cruz led with 52.06% of the vote, followed by Campos with 47.94%.
Covina-Valley Unified School District, Governing Board, Trustee Area 5
Maria M. Caceres, teacher/governing board member, is being challenged by Jason Cook, small business owner for the seat.
Caceres had 66.94% of the vote. Cook was in second with 33.06%.
Duarte Unified School District, Governing Board, Trustee Area 1
Laura Jasso, educator, and Tonette Parker Reyes, retired claims examiner, are vying for the seat.
Jasso had a healthy lead with 76.50% of the vote. Parker Reyes had 23.50% of the vote.
Duarte Unified School District, Governing Board, Trustee Area 2
James Finlay, president of the Duarte Board of Education, is running for re-election to the school board, challenging Ceci Escarcega Carroll, governing board member, Duarte USD, for the seat.
Finlay led with 66.40% of the vote, followed by Escarcega Carroll running second with 33.56%.
Duarte Unified School District, Governing Board, Trustee Area 3
Tom N. Reyes, small business owner, is challenging incumbent Eddie Howard, compliance officer.
Reyes appeared to have the lead with 55.58%, followed by Howard at 44.42%.
El Rancho Unified School District, Governing Board Member
Three candidates are running for 2 seats on the El Rancho Unified School District Board. Voters are asked to vote for no more than two candidates.
Incumbent Arlene Perez, governing board member, El Rancho USD, is being challenged for one of the 2 seats by Christine Saavedra, outreach manager/parent; and Kenia G. Islas, education advocate/parent.
Perez was the leader with 42.27%, followed by Saavedra at 31.65% and Islas with 26.08% of the vote.
Glendora Unified School District, Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 4
Daniel R. Cayem, psychologist/parent/professor, is challenging incumbent Elizabeth Reuter, board member, for the seat.
Cayem led with 57.93% of the vote. Reuter was in second with 43.07%.
Glendora Unified School District, Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 5
Michael J. Munoz, parents rights attorney, is challenging Robin Merkley, appointed, governing board member.
Munoz had 55.25% and Merkley had 44.75% of the vote.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, Governing Board, Trustee Area 1
Joyce Garcia, parent/school manager, is vying for the seat against Stephanie Serrano, social worker/parent.
Serrano appeared to have the lead with 50.52%, followed by Garcia with 49.48% of the vote.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, Governing Board, Trustee Area 3
In this race, Adriana Quinones, no occupation listed, is challenging incumbent Christine Helen Salazar, board president/parent.
Quinones appeared led with 53.26% of the vote, followed by Salazar with 46.74% of the vote.
Montebello Unified School District, Governing Board
There are 5 candidates running for a seat on the Montebello Unified School District board. Two of the 5 candidates are incumbents. Voters are asked to vote for no more than 2 candidates.
In the running are Lisa M. Ibanez, college professor; Joanna L. Barreras, university professor/researcher; Elizabeth Cabrera, governing board member, Montebello Unified School District; Liliana Magana, governing board member, Ontebello Unified School District; and Aaron Reveles, public school teacher.
Magana led with 28.95% of the vote. Coming in second in early tallies was Cabrera with 26.16%; followed by Ibanez at 18.03%; Reveles at 14.64%; and Barreras with 12.23% of the vote.
Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School Board, Governing Board, Trustee Area 1
Esperanza “Espie” Free, mother/educator/businesswoman, is running against Miguel Rivera, school counselor.
Free had 54.52% of the vote, followed by Rivera, who had 45.48%.
Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School Board, Governing Board, Trustee Area 3
Christopher Joe Garcia, business owner/father, is challenging the incumbent Jose M. Rios, school board president.
Rios led with 62.57%, followed by challenger Garcia who had 37.43% of the vote.
Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School Board, Governing Board, Trustee Area 7
David Constantine, father/entrepreneur, is running against Becky Langenwalter, mother/businesswoman.
Langenwalter appeared to be leading with 54.08% followed by Constantine with 45.92% of the vote.
Pasadena Unified School District, Board of Education, District 2
Incumbent Jennifer Hall Lee, PUSD board of education member, is facing a challenge by Juan Carlos Perez, business executive.
Lee led with 71.03%, followed by Perez, who had 28.97% of the vote.
Pasadena Unified School District, Board of Education, District 4
Scott Harden, strategic planner, is running unopposed.
He won 100% of the vote.
Pasadena Unified School District, Board of Education, District 6
Incumbent Tina Wu Fredericks, PUSD board of education member, is being challenged by Lisa Kroese, project manager/Realtor.
Fredericks was leading Kroese with 62.01% of the vote, compared to Kroese who had 37.99% of the vote.
Pomona Unified School District, Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 2
Alfredo Camacho, education policy director, is vying for the seat against Tamara Gonzalez, education director/professor.
Gonzalez led the race with 63.27% of the vote, followed by Camacho with 36.73% of the vote.
Pomona Unified School District, Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 3
Angel David Arellano, community volunteer, is challenging incumbent Arturo Jimenez, board member president, Pomona Unified School District, Trustee Area 3.
Jimenez led with 71.55% of the vote. Arellano had 28.45% of the vote.
Rowland Unified School District, Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 4
In the running are Yvette Romo, educator, and Ellen Yoonchung Park, public educator/principal.
Park led with 52.73% of the vote, followed by Romo with 47.27%.
HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS
El Monte Union High School District, Governing Board member, Trustee Area 2
Esthela Torres De Siegrist, college professor, is running against Luis G. Guzman, child adolescent psychologist.
Guzman led with 51.67% of the vote. De Siegrist was in second with 48.33% of the vote.
Whittier Union High School District, Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 2
Incumbent Jaime Lopez, workforce specialist/boardmember, is being challenged by Magdalena Maggie Barragnon Moe, business woman.
Lopez led with 69.14% followed by Barragnon Moe with 30.86% of the vote.
Whittier Union High School District, Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 3
Francis Carbajal, city commissioner, is challenging Josefina Elizabeth Canchola, appointed, governing board member, Whittier Union High School District, Trustee Area 3
Canchola led with 65.25%, followed by Carbajal with 34.75% of the vote.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Garvey School District, Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 2
Candidates for this race are John H. Nuñez, educational advocate and Sydney Susie Cubas, broker/office manager.
Nunez led with 69.92% of the vote. Cubas was in second with 30.08% of the vote.
Rosemead School District, Governing Board Member
There are 3 candidates running for 2 seats on the Rosemead School District board. Two candidates are incumbents.
Voters are asked to vote for no more than 2 candidates.
Jonathan Smith, small business owner, is vying for one of the seats held by incumbents Ron Esquivel, governing board member, Rosemead School District, and Veronica Pena, governing board member, Rosemead School District.
Pena led with 42.93% of the vote, followed by Esquivel at 38.81% and Smith with 18.26% of the vote.
Whittier City School District, Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 1
Incumbent Caro Jauregui, board president, Whittier City School District, is being challenged by Larry Batista, mechanical engineer/parent.
Jauregui led with 64.68% of the vote. Batista was in second with 35.32% of the vote.
Whittier City School District, Governing Board member, Trustee Area 2
Incumbent Elizabeth Leon, governing board member, Whittier City School District, Trustee Area 2, is being challenged by Lloyd S. Reed, district sanitation worker
Leon led with 72.66% of the vote. Reed had 27.34% of the vote.