Five candidates are vying for two spots on Placentia-Yorba Linda’s school board in 2026: three in Trustee Area 4 and two in Trustee Area 5.
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In both trustee areas, the incumbents are running for reelection.
In Trustee Area 4, incumbent Todd Frazier is joined in the race by Yorba Linda business owner Barb Buckley and Nixon Foundation Director of Education Chris Lowe. Over in Trustee Area 4, incumbent Carrie Buck is facing a challenge from Justin Aguirre, a father of three children in the district.
We asked the candidates about what they believe are the top needs in their districts, when artificial intelligence is safe to be used in the classroom and how the district’s schools can better teach or engage students in civil discourse.
Here are some of their answers to our questions. Find more about what these candidates — and others up and down the ballot — had to say on our 2026 general election voter guide.
Trustee Area 4
When asked to identify the top needs of the PYUSD, both Buckley and Lowe pointed to fiscal stability.
“Declining enrollment, rising costs, and years of financial challenges require disciplined leadership and long-term planning,” Lowe said. “I bring extensive experience managing complex organizations, budgets, and real estate assets, along with a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility. I will work collaboratively with the superintendent, teachers, staff, and community to establish sustainable budgets, prioritize classroom resources, identify efficiencies, and make decisions based on long-term needs rather than short-term politics.”
Buckley, meanwhile, said she would “work with district leadership to address the budget deficit, carefully evaluate spending, and ensure resources are focused on student needs and classroom priorities.”
Buckley, too, said she wants to see the district put teaching and learning first. From a school board perspective, that looks like supporting “policies that strengthen classroom learning, curriculum quality, student safety, and the recruitment and retention of excellent teachers and administrators,” she said.
Lowe’s other priority is safe schools.
“Students cannot learn, and teachers cannot teach effectively unless they feel safe, supported, and respected,” Lowe said, promising to advocate for appropriate emergency preparedness, programs that promote a positive school culture and strong campus security. “Just as importantly, I believe safety includes creating an environment where students and staff can raise concerns and know they will be taken seriously.”
Frazier, who was first elected to the school board in 2022, did not respond to requests to participate in the Register’s voter guide. But on his campaign website, Frazier listed four priorities: protect girls’ sports by ensuring “fair competition and safe spaces for our female athletes,” promote parental rights with “open communication and transparency,” place student academic success at the forefront of the district’s mission, and get students career-ready right out of high school.
“When I first ran, I pledged fiscal discipline, transparency, and an education system focused on academics rather than politics,” he said in his candidate statement. “On the board, I have applied my CPA training to scrutinize the budget, protect classroom dollars, and hold spending accountable to results, because every dollar counts.”
Buckley, a Yorba Linda resident and parent of two PYLUSD alumni, said schools could better teach civil discourse by making it a practiced skill, rather than a lesson. That looks like teaching students how to disagree respectfully and challenge ideas rather than people, modeling respectful disagreement in the classroom by the teachers, and creating a classroom culture where students are able to speak without fear of being ridiculed, among other ways, she said.
Lowe said schools should create more opportunities for students to discuss current events, government, history and other community issues. Students should be encouraged to challenge ideas and ask questions while also defending their own positions with evidence and facts, said Lowe, who is also the parent of two PYLUSD graduates and one current student.
Frazier said in his campaign statement that “as a business owner,” he supports investment in career pathways “in the skilled trades, technology, entrepreneurship, and artificial intelligence” because not all students are university-bound but should be prepared “to earn, build, and lead.”
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Trustee Area 5
First elected in 2010, Buck now serves as the president of the PYLUSD board. The Yorba Linda resident pinpointed school safety and college and career readiness as the top two issues facing the district.
For school safety, Buck said she would like to see the district strengthen emergency preparedness and security protocols across the district’s schools; expand certain safety education, such as e-bike and digital safety; and strengthen partnerships with first responders and local law enforcement.
As for college and career readiness, Buck said the district should expand dual enrollment programs, opportunities to earn college credits and access to industry-recognized certifications, among other things.
Aguirre did not respond to requests to participate in the Register’s voter guide. On his campaign website, he boasts having attended about 85 school board meetings over the past five years, proving his dedication to the district, particularly as an alumnus of the district and the parent of three students.
“I believe strong schools are built through academic excellence, engaged parents, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and leadership that is transparent, accountable, and focused on students,” Aguirre said on his website. “I love this community, and I’m committed to helping ensure PLYUSD remains a district where every student has the opportunity to succeed.”
When it comes to artificial intelligence in the classroom, Buck said it shouldn’t be looked at just as a technology issue, but also as a safety one.
“We need to teach AI literacy, including accuracy, bias, privacy, copyright, academic integrity, and responsible use,” Buck said, which includes clear guidelines, proper privacy and security reviews and human oversight for decisions that involve grades or discipline.
“AI should be limited when it replaces foundational reading, writing, mathematical reasoning, creativity, or meaningful interaction between students and teachers,” Buck said. “It should not complete assignments intended to demonstrate independent mastery or make decisions involving grades, discipline, special education, student placement, or employee evaluation.”
On his campaign website, Aguirre said he is running a campaign centered on “academics over politics.” As for technology, Aguirre said the district should better balance technology use, pointing to an increased use of screens during the COVID-19 era of remote learning.
“Technology is an important educational tool, but it should support great teaching-not replace it,” his campaign website said.
“Today, many parents, teachers, and researchers are raising concerns that excessive computer use may affect student learning, attention, classroom engagement, and mental well-being,” Aguirre said. “I’ve also heard from students who feel too much computer-based work has become ‘busy work,’ reducing meaningful interaction with teachers. Whether that perception reflects every classroom or not, it’s a concern worth taking seriously because every student deserves an engaging classroom led by a great teacher.”
Learn more from these candidates on various issues, in their own words, in our voter guide.
Every registered voter in California has already been mailed a ballot, and voting is underway. Election Day is Nov. 3.
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