A clear guide on LBUSD board candidates, the proposed school bond, statewide education races, and the choices affecting Laguna Beach schools.
Three seats on the Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education are up for election on November 3, 2026. Five candidates have qualified for the three seats.
Laguna Beach voters will also decide Measure A, an $83 million school facilities bond. At the state level, voters will select California’s next Superintendent of Public Instruction, along with candidates for other offices that can shape education policy and funding.
This page will continue to be updated as official voter materials, candidate information, and election coverage are released.
Last updated: August 27, 2026
On the Ballot
LBUSD Board of Education
Three seats are up for election. The terms currently held by Dee Perry, Jim Kelly, and Joan Malczewski expire in December 2026. The Orange County Registrar of Voters lists five qualified candidates.
LBUSD School Bond
Measure A asks Laguna Beach voters whether LBUSD may issue up to $83 million in general-obligation bonds for school facilities improvements.
The measure is intended to address aging infrastructure and facilities needs, including roofs, plumbing and sewer systems, classrooms and science labs, emergency communications, fire protection, accessibility, and other school improvements.
The district estimates a tax rate of approximately $8.85 per $100,000 of assessed value. LBUSD says the measure is structured to replace its existing school bond tax as that tax expires rather than increase the current school bond tax rate.
Bond proceeds cannot be used for teacher or administrator salaries or regular operating expenses. The measure also requires independent citizen oversight, annual audits, and public disclosure of expenditures.
The Same Tax Rate, a New Promise to Laguna’s Kids
The Laguna Beach school board voted 5-0 at the July 9, 2026 meeting to place a school facilities bond on the November 2026 ballot, giving the community the final say on whether to continue investing in local school campuses without increasing the current tax rate.
California Superintendent of Public Instruction
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is California’s elected public-schools chief and leads the California Department of Education.
The November general election features:
Richard Barrera — State Superintendent Advisor
Sonja Shaw — School District President
Sonja Shaw is president of the Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education. Her campaign emphasizes stronger reading, writing, and math performance; parental involvement; protecting girls’ sports under her interpretation of Title IX; and reducing state education bureaucracy. Her tenure in Chino Valley has also been defined by high-profile battles over transgender student policies and school-library materials. A district policy requiring parental notification when students requested certain gender-identity changes at school was challenged by the state and ruled unlawful in 2024, while the district has continued pursuing related litigation. More recently, its policies governing challenged library books have also drawn state scrutiny.
Richard Barrera currently serves as a senior advisor to State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and previously served 18 years on the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education. His record centers more heavily on the traditional responsibilities of public-school governance: academic performance, educator recruitment and retention, facilities, school funding, and operating a large and diverse school system.
Other Education Decisions
Several other choices on the November ballot could affect public education in Laguna Beach and across California.
Proposition 3: Permanent Funding for Schools
Proposition 3 would make permanent the higher state income-tax rates on high-income Californians, first approved by voters in 2012 and currently scheduled to expire in 2031.
Revenue from the tax would be allocated 89% to K–12 public schools and 11% to California community colleges. Local school boards would decide how to spend their share, and they could not use the money for administrative costs.
The Legislative Analyst and Department of Finance estimate that making the tax permanent would maintain approximately $5 billion to $15 billion annually in state revenue that would otherwise expire after 2031.
Because Proposition 3 would directly affect long-term funding available to California public schools, it is one of the most significant education-related decisions on the statewide ballot.
Governor of California
California voters will choose between Xavier Becerra (Democrat) and Steve Hilton (Republican) for governor.
The governor has substantial influence over public education: proposing and negotiating the state budget, signing or vetoing education legislation, and making appointments that help shape statewide education policy.
Public Record Laguna will look at the candidates specifically through an education lens, including school funding, academic achievement, teacher recruitment and retention, student services, and the role of the state in local school governance.
State Assembly District 72
Laguna Beach & Laguna Audubon is part of California State Assembly District 72, where Chris Kluwe (Democrat) and Gracey Van Der Mark (Republican) are running for the open seat currently held by Assemblymember Diane Dixon. Kluwe and Van Der Mark finished first and second, respectively, in the June primary.
The Assembly votes on California’s education budget and legislation affecting school funding, teachers, curriculum, student services, facilities, governance, and other issues that ultimately reach local school districts.
Election Coverage
Reporting, candidate interviews, issue guides, public records, bond analysis, and other election-related articles will be collected here.
More coverage will be added as the races and measures develop.
Official Election Information
Ballots are scheduled to begin mailing by October 5. The online voter-registration deadline is October 19, the first Vote Centers open October 24, and Election Day is November 3, 2026.
Official candidate lists, ballot materials, measure information, voting locations, and election deadlines are available through:
How I’m voting on the 2026 Ballot
Coming soon…