Spotlight Schools Newsletter: March 2026
🗳️ Candidate Removed from Ballot // 🏫 School Closing // ☀️ Summer Planning Resources
THE LATEST ON TK-12 EDUCATION IN ORANGE COUNTY
Spotlight Schools is passionate about delivering hyperlocal education news from across Orange County. And now there is a day to celebrate that effort.
April 9, 2026, is the first-ever Local News Day billed as "a national day of action to celebrate and strengthen trusted local news and information." Spotlight Schools is proud to be one of the more than 1,000 newsrooms nationwide participating.
Here are a few ways you can support our work:
- 👍 Follow us on social media (we’re most active on Instagram) and share, like, and comment on what we post. Tell your friends and colleagues to follow us.
- 🗣️ Send us a story tip. Email hello@spotlightschools.com to tell us what’s happening at your campus.
- 📣 Advertise with us (respond to this email to see options for getting your message in front of our readers!)
- 🧡 Donate here to strengthen our newsroom. Everything helps!
Now, let's get to the journalism we love to bring you.
Here's what's in this newsletter:
- 🗳️ Primary Election Preview: A look at the local education-related races up for a vote on the June 2, 2026, Primary Election ballot and why one candidate was removed.
- 🔦 Flash Feed: A local school closing at the end of this academic year. Plus, how local districts are responding to allegations against the late civil rights icon César Chávez.
- ⛺️ Summer Planning: Information and resources to help you plan your student's summer activities.
Don’t forget to visit our website, SpotlightSchools.com.
Yours in knowledge,
Jeannette Andruss Co-founder, Spotlight Schools
Candidate Removed from Primary Ballot after Legal Challenge
Three positions related to education in Orange County were scheduled to be voted on during the June 2, 2026, Primary Election:
- O.C. Superintendent of Schools
- O.C. Board of Education (OCBE):
- Trustee Areas 2 and 5
However, this is not exactly what will appear on the ballot. First, voters will not weigh in on the race for OCBE Trustee Area 2. Incumbent Mari Barke will retain the seat she’s held since 2018 as no other candidate qualified to run against her.
Trustee Area 5 incumbent Lisa Sparks, Ph.D., is seeking reelection and is being challenged by college board advisor Jason Sams.
In related news, OCBE Trustee Tim Shaw (Area 4) is running for Orange County Supervisor.
🗳️ Orange County Superintendent of Schools
In the race for O.C. Supt. of Schools, incumbent Stefan Bean, Ed.D., is running for election to the office for the first time since being appointed to the job in 2024. Former Anaheim Elementary School District school board member and educator Jeff Cole, Ed.D., filed paperwork to run against Dr. Bean. Last week, Dr. Cole was removed from the ballot following a successful legal challenge from Mark Bucher, a board member at the California Policy Center and co-founder of Orange County Classical Academy, a charter school in Orange.
In a phone interview, Bucher explained that he filed the lawsuit arguing Dr. Cole lacked a valid credential authorizing him to perform administrative services in California. According to the O.C. Registrar of Voters’ Office, the credential is required to hold the position of O.C. Superintendent of Schools.
Spotlight Schools attempted to contact Dr. Cole but did not hear back in time for publication.
Bucher, a longtime advocate for charter schools and donor to Dr. Bean’s campaign, said he was motivated to get involved to maintain the current leadership at the Orange County Department of Education.
“We have an [Orange County Board of Education] that is 5-0 supportive of charter schools,” Bucher said of the current trustees. He added that Dr. Bean holds similar views.
According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, Dr. Bean will appear on the June ballot with a line for a write-in candidate, if one qualifies. The filing window for write-in candidates opens April 6 and ends May 19.
The Orange County Republican Party is counting this as a win for Dr. Bean. A March 23 Instagram post from its account reads: “The Republican Party of Orange County (OC GOP) congratulates Dr. Stefan Bean on his victory as Orange County’s Superintendent of Schools.”
Elections for positions on the 28 school boards across Orange County occur during the General Election, scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. The filing period for candidates seeking to run in November opens in July, according to the O.C. Registrar of Voters. Not registered to vote? Register here now.
🗳️ Stay with Spotlight Schools this 2026 election season as we cover the races and issues that matter to YOU!
Santa Ana Unified Seeks to Rename César Chávez High School
- Earlier this month, an investigation by The New York Times revealed allegations that labor leader César Chávez "groomed and sexually abused girls who worked in the movement."
- In response, the Santa Ana Unified School District has started the process to rename César Chávez High School, the only public school in O.C. named after the United Farm Workers co-founder.
- SAUSD is now seeking public input and has distributed a survey on the renaming process. The Santa Ana Unified Board of Education discussed the issue at its March 24 meeting. "Renaming the school is a priority for the Board of Education, and will follow an inclusive, community-driven process," according to the district.
- Meanwhile, the Anaheim Elementary School District and Anaheim Union High School District say they plan to revisit their resolutions recognizing César Chávez Day at future school board meetings.
- Last week, California officially renamed the state holiday César Chávez Day as Farmworkers Day, which is observed on March 31.
Related reading: Educators grapple with fallout after sexual abuse allegations against César Chávez // EdSource
Update on O.C. School Closures and Consolidation
- Citing ongoing declining enrollment, the Capistrano Unified School District has decided to close Del Obispo Elementary School at the end of the 2025-26 school year. The K-5 campus in San Juan Capistrano serves 310 students and celebrated its 50th anniversary last March. The site will be repurposed as an Early Education Center, according to the district
- The CUSD trustees discussed the changes for Del Obispo at their March 18 meeting.
- Meanwhile, the Orange Unified School District is progressing with its “Resource Optimization Coalition” (ROC), the rebooted effort to determine how to allocate resources amid declining enrollment and create a “Destination District.”
- The ROC's proposed guiding principles include equitable access to educational programs, safe facilities, and long-term financial stability.
- At the OUSD board’s March 26 meeting, Supt. Rachel H. Monárrez, Ph.D., stated that none of the district’s more than 40 schools is scheduled to close in the 2026-27 school year.
- At the meeting, Trustee Kris Erickson explained the effort this way: “How do we make this the best student experience we can for every single student? And are we spread so thin, or are we going to be spread so thin that we lose that? So that's the opportunity that we're doing here.”
Read past coverage:
Jeannette Andruss
Brea Olinda Seeks to fill Board Vacancy
Trustees voted to vacate the Trustee Area 4 seat after its occupant missed 3 meetings following his arrest.
- Next month, the Brea Olinda Unified School District Board of Education is scheduled to interview applicants seeking to fulfill the term of former trustee Christopher Becerra, Ed.D., who was arrested in 2025.
- Trustees voted 4-0 to approve a resolution to vacate Dr. Becerra’s seat representing Trustee Area 4 at the board’s March 5 meeting.
- Candidates had until March 27 to apply. At least two people applied, according to district spokesperson Melissa Serrato.
- Board trustees will interview qualified candidates for the vacant seat during a special board meeting on April 20, according to the district's application materials. At that meeting, the board will consider making a provisional appointment. The selected candidate will serve the remainder of the current term, which ends on December 14, 2026.
Other recent stories from Spotlight Schools:
Ashley Dos Santos
Jeannette Andruss
Other Stories We're Reading
Note: some links may have a paywall or require a subscription to read.
- Newport-Mesa Unified pumps brakes on new e-bike rules after residents point out flaws // Daily Pilot
- O.C. parents holding 8th grade boys back a year with hopes of landing endorsement deals // Wall Street Journal
- O.C. Department of Education to host public forum on active shooter preparedness // OCDE Newsroom
- Four O.C. School districts recognized for leading the way in Artificial Intelligence integration // OCDE Newsroom
- Huntington Beach elementary students do it all to produce Sea Star News // Daily Pilot
- Therapy dogs boost literacy skills for O.C. students // Voice of OC
- Spotlight on ‘addictive’ social media design after landmark verdict against Meta, Google // EdSource
- How a SCOTUS decision on birthright citizenship could impact education access // NPR
- ICYMI: Column on new law that allows school districts to raise stipends for board members // The Orange County Register
High School Highlights - reporting from O.C.'s student journalists.
- What is the CAASPP test and why are juniors taking it? // Los Alamitos High School Griffin Gazette
- Teen entrepreneurs shine with Salty Sun Coffee // Huntington Beach High School Slick Journalism
- Social Justice Day empowers Cypress students // Cypress High School Centurion Spotlight
Brea Olinda High School reporters share the story of student and bowling champion Alexandra McCowan. From the BreaOlindaWildcat.com
Planning for the Summer Season
It's March, and it's prime time for families to plan for summer. Some districts offer free programming during June and July for families who qualify thanks to funding from California’s Expanded Opportunities Learning Program (ELO-P).
For instance, the Fullerton School District is offering its free Encore Summer Camp. Enrollment is now open for the Anaheim Elementary School District’s Summer Camp for 2026. The Westminster School District is also promoting summer programs for its students.
The Los Alamitos Unified School District is no longer offering its traditional summer program for TK–8 students. However, students can participate in the Los Alamitos Education Foundation (LAEF) Summer Enrichment Institute being held at Rossmoor Elementary School. LAEF has summer offerings for high school students, including a college application workshop and a driver’s education course. Los Alamitos High School coaches and directors from athletic and arts programs are also hosting camps for district students. Find out more here.
Additional Resources:
- KidsGuide Magazine’s Summer Camps Guide
- ParentingOC Camps Guide
- O.C. Register Guides
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