Three of Capistrano Unified’s school board seats are on the ballot this year, each drawing two candidates vying to represent a spot on the board leading Orange County’s largest school district.
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In Trustee Area 4, it’s Melissa Caldwell, a Laguna Niguel resident who serves as a chief operating officer for a law firm and has served on the PTA, versus Marco Carralero, also a Laguna Niguel resident who runs a health and wellness company in San Clemente. Both are parents.
In Trustee Area 6, San Juan Capistrano attorney and parent Mandy Bourne and PTA leader and small business owner Jeanna Emmons, also a parent who resides in Mission Viejo, are running.
And in Trustee Area 8, it’s U.S. Army veteran and youth sports director Ron Ruef of Mission Viejo running against Linda Shepard, also of Mission Viejo, who is self-employed and has experience in the finance and accounting fields.
None of the incumbents in these districts are running this year, meaning there will be three new faces on the school board after the 2026 election.
Capistrano Unified is the largest employer in South Orange County, the district says on its website. It encompasses schools in Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.
We asked the candidates about what they believe are the top needs in their district, 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, which can be found at ocregister.com/voter-guide.
Trustee Area 4
When it comes to the biggest issues Capistrano Unified faces, Caldwell said the district needs to “ensure all students have equal opportunities to learn in the most successful environments for their needs” and remove politics from both the classroom and the CUSD board.
Caldwell, who has served on Laguna Niguel’s Military Support Committee for several years, also would like the district to address challenges brought on by declining enrollment, something traditional public schools across the country are grappling with, mainly due to lower birthrates.
Carralero, meanwhile, pinpointed stronger academic achievement and a sustainable budget as the two biggest needs in the district.
Reading, writing, and math need to be the basic foundation of every student’s education, Carralero said, along with early identification of students who may need extra help, such as tutoring.
And like Caldwell, he acknowledged the budgetary strains brought on by declining enrollment. To fix that, Carralero said he would like to scrutinize administrative contracts, spending and programs.
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“When families choose to leave the district, we need to ask and understand why, and swiftly address concerns within the district’s control,” said Carralero, who has been involved in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Citizens Academy.
Trustee Area 6
Both Bourne and Emmons said they see a place for AI in the classroom — but with limitations.
AI should be expanded if it helps students learn, particularly with extra practice or support for students with disabilities or language needs, Bourne said. But it should be limited if it replaces thinking or students doing their own work, she said.
“Let’s be humble about what we don’t yet know,” said Bourne, who volunteered teaching reading in elementary schools. “This technology is transforming careers and education rapidly. Our district should establish clear rules, provide training, protect privacy and academic integrity, and remain flexible as evidence and experience reveal what works.”
Emmons, who has advocated in Sacramento for increased funding for children’s mental health, said AI should not be introduced in the classroom so early that it could weaken fundamental critical thinking development. The district should also take into consideration the ethical debate around AI, such as the environmental impacts of data centers, Emmons said.
“Data centers cause stress on the freshwater sources that already aren’t sufficient to supply the surrounding population in some areas,” said Emmons. “Moreover, one AI search could potentially utilize the amount of energy needed to power a community. In a world where populations struggle to maintain consistent electrical power, CUSD students should consider the consequences of an AI search.”
Trustee Area 7
As for how CUSD could better prepare students to engage in civil discourse, Ruef, who has a lengthy resume of serving on local boards and commissions, said the district should give students more opportunities to discuss age-appropriate current events and equip educators with professional development and resources to better facilitate these types of classroom discussions. Teachers, Ruef said, should model ways to disagree without being disrespectful and also ensure the class stays centered on learning rather than political advocacy.
“Ultimately, our schools should prepare students to participate in our democracy and become responsible members of their communities,” Ruef said. “We do not have to agree with one another to treat one another with respect.”
Shepard, a former CFO of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, said students should learn to form opinions based on facts and data. Students should learn, she said, how to analyze emotion and how that can be used to manipulate someone’s perspective. And students should learn to be respectful of other opinions while also requiring supporting evidence.
“The purpose of an education is to learn and develop the skills of critical thinking. This requires opening the mind,” said Shepard.
Every registered voter in California has already been mailed a ballot, and voting is underway. Election Day is Nov. 3.
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