09/28/2026
WHAT DO YOU THINK, ABCUSD RESIDENTS?
ABCUSD SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS: IS BY-TRUSTEE-AREA REPRESENTATION WORKING?
Three long-serving ABCUSD trustees are on the November 3, 2026 ballot:
Soo Yoo — Trustee Area 2
• On the board since 2013
• Seeking another term
• Challenged by Al Barlevy in 2026
H. Ernie Nishii — Trustee Area 3
• On the board since 2017
• Seeking another term
• Currently listed without an opponent
Dr. Olga Rios — Trustee Area 6
• On the board since 2017
• Seeking another term
• Currently listed without an opponent
The Los Angeles County candidate list confirms the 2026 candidates and the ABCUSD election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.
So the picture is not three uncontested races. There is a contested election in Trustee Area 2, while Trustee Areas 3 and 6 currently have only the incumbent listed.
WHAT DOES THIS TELL US?
Does the long tenure of several trustees indicate that voters are satisfied?
Or could the lack of challengers in some trustee areas reflect other factors — such as the difficulty of recruiting candidates, the time commitment, campaign costs, incumbency advantages, or simply limited interest in school-board elections?
And an even bigger question:
DO WE NEED TERM LIMITS FOR THE ABCUSD BOARD?
Long service can provide experience and institutional knowledge.
But competitive elections can also provide voters with choices, encourage public debate, and create opportunities for new candidates and new ideas.
WHAT ABOUT BY-TRUSTEE-AREA ELECTIONS?
ABCUSD changed from an at-large system to trustee-area elections.
The purpose of trustee-area elections is to have board members elected from specific geographic areas.
But representation is only one measure of how an election system functions.
We should also ask:
🔹 Are elections competitive?
🔹 Are enough qualified residents willing to run?
🔹 Are voters sufficiently engaged?
🔹 Does the system provide meaningful choices?
🔹 Does it encourage leadership turnover when voters want it?
🔹 Are residents in every trustee area adequately informed about their choices?
AND WHAT ABOUT "DYNASTY"?
Is it fair to call long-serving incumbents a "dynasty"?
That may be too strong based on tenure alone.
But it is certainly reasonable to ask:
How much turnover and electoral competition should a healthy school-board democracy have?
The question isn't about attacking any individual trustee.
It is about the system.
If an incumbent continues to win, voters are exercising their choice. If challengers do not emerge, that is also part of the electoral picture.
But should ABCUSD do more to encourage qualified residents to consider running for the Board?
WHAT DO YOU THINK, ABCUSD RESIDENTS?
Is the current by-trustee-area system producing the kind of representation, competition and voter engagement that our community wants?
Would reasonable term limits encourage broader participation and new leadership — or would they unnecessarily remove experienced trustees whom voters want to retain?
And why do some trustee areas attract challengers while others do not?
Let's discuss it respectfully.
Democracy needs representation.
Democracy also needs participation, choices and accountability.
