Nine candidates are running for four spots on Orange Unified’s school board this year.
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In Trustee Area 1, Ivan Kokos, a commercial banker, is challenging incumbent Andrea Yamasaki, who was first elected in 2016.
Trustee Area 4 incumbent Sara Pelly, who is seeking a full term after being elected in a 2024 special election, is facing challenges from Crystal Miles, a Villa Park City Council member, and Armando Perez-Serrato.
Over in Trustee Area 5, incumbent Kris Erickson faces Chip Ahlswede, a parent of three former district students who served on Orange Unified school site councils, and in Trustee Area 7, incumbent Stephen Glass faces Jack Chang, a vice president for a software company.
We asked the candidates about what they believe are the top needs in their districts, what role a school board has in education, when artificial intelligence is safe to be used in the classroom, how schools can better engage students in civil discourse and more. 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 1
When asked to identify the top needs in the district, Anaheim resident Yamasaki said it needs to expand academic and extracurricular opportunities by offering programs that partner with local organizations and businesses “to increase hands-on opportunities and internships.”
“We need to use evidence-based data to find out what is working and what is not,” Yamasaki said. “We need to provide support for our students and families by identifying needs, whether it be specialized language support for English learners, math support like tutoring and additional instruction or opportunities to take classes in the summer.”
Kokos, also an Anaheim resident, said the district governing board needs to right-size the district budget first and foremost. Then it needs to improve academic success in classrooms, he said.
“A budget exists to serve the classroom, so every dollar should be measured against whether it helps a child read and do math,” Kokos said. “I will push to prioritize instruction over central office growth and hold the administration accountable for results, not just spending.”
Trustee Area 4
Pelly, a Villa Park resident, said a school board’s role in education is ultimately to serve as a safety net for the surrounding community and to ensure “every policy directly benefits students, supports staff, and protects taxpayers.” In the board role, she said that her more than three decades of experience as a teacher and principal will be indispensable.
“By bridging the gap between board policy and classroom reality, I will ensure our district remains accountable, transparent, and deeply connected to the people it serves,” Pelly said.
Miles, also a Villa Park resident, said a school board’s role is to provide accountability and stability for its stakeholders.
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“The school board trustees work for the community, parents, students, staff and stakeholders by providing oversight, setting policy, ensuring fiscal accountability, and holding district leadership accountable,” she said.
Perez-Serrato did not respond to requests to participate in the Register’s voter guide. On his campaign website, Perez-Serrato, who has mounted multiple unsuccessful bids for office over the years, said he is gearing up to run for U.S. president in 2028. He does not mention his Orange Unified school board candidacy, and he does not have a candidate statement filed with the Orange County registrar of voters.
Trustee Area 5
Ahlswede, an Orange resident, said artificial intelligence is merely a tool in education. But it’s not a tool that can be “a replacement for doing the work, nor is it a substitute for learning,” Ahlswede said.
“We should be teaching the ethical use and application of AI because it will be a large part of how society operates moving forward,” Ahlswede said. “When AI substitutes for a student’s own thinking or produces work the student represents as their own, that is where its use should be limited.”
Erickson, an Orange resident who was first elected to the post in 2018, said that while AI can be beneficial in certain classrooms when its use is age-appropriate, the tech becomes unsafe when it replaces or interferes with building developmental skills.
“Young kids need hands‑on learning, play-based learning, motor‑skill development, and need to learn the foundations for math and reading. Older students, however, need digital literacy,” Erickson said. “It is up to parents and educators working together, and being aware of emerging data, to teach appropriate and ethical use of AI. It is a powerful tool and requires a balanced, research‑based approach.”
Trustee Area 7
When asked how schools could better teach or engage students in civil discourse, Glass said the district should support structured discussions and debates across subjects, so students can learn how to support arguments with evidence while also revising their thinking “when the evidence warrants it.”
“Schools should teach students to discuss difficult issues with intellectual honesty, respect, and the ability to evaluate evidence. Civil discourse is not simply politeness,” said Glass, who is seeking a full term on the board after winning a special election in 2024. “It requires listening carefully, questioning assumptions, distinguishing facts from opinions, and challenging claims without demeaning people.”
Chang, an Orange resident, said the district needs to provide students a space where they can share thoughts and ideas freely, “where neither side will be demonized for their opinions, especially by the teachers themselves.”
“It is not the teacher’s job to groom or influence their students socially or politically; rather, it is to create a space for the students to think critically for themselves after hearing truly objective facts without bias or slant,” he said. “The only way to achieve this is through self-monitoring and, as required, observation.”
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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