Six candidates seeking three seats on two separate school boards in the Santa Maria Valley talked about why voters should elect them, airing thoughts on overcrowding, existing and needed programs, policies for electronics and more.

The League of Women Voters of North Santa Barbara County organized the Wednesday night event held in the board hearing room at the Betteravia Government Center.

Four people are running for two seats in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. A third term expiring this year attracted the Trustee Area 2 incumbent, Feliciano Aguilar, as the lone filer, so it won’t appear on the ballot.

Recently retired educator Joe Dana is challenging incumbent David Baskett in the race to represent Trustee Area 5 on the high school district board.  

Alex Jauregui, a principal at a Santa Maria-Bonita School District junior high school, and Diana Perez, a college administrator, want to represent Trustee Area 4 on the high school district board. The incumbent, Magdalena Serrano, chose to run for the role. 

The quartet all agreed that the three comprehensive high schools — Santa Maria, Righetti and Pioneer Valley — are overcrowded and called for creating a fourth campus. 

Jauregui said the current crowded campuses — with hundreds of more youths than designed for — don’t provide the right learning environment for students. 

“I think we need to focus on how we are supporting all of those folks because classrooms are impacted, staff are impacted, and it’s not supporting the mission and vision of the school district when we have way more students than what the building was built for,” Jauregui said.

“I definitely think that the biggest challenge for our school district is going to be that we needed a new high school 10 years ago,” said Perez, who previously served on the high school district board from 2014 to 2024. Although not required, she resigned in the middle of her term in July 2024 because she ran for mayor of Santa Maria.

She said the district needs to project the Santa Maria Valley’s growth and begin now to accommodate those future students with a quality education. 

When he joined the board four years ago, Baskett said security stood as a big concern, adding that learning can’t occur if students feel unsafe. 

“Security has dramatically improved at the schools,” he added. 

The district’s efforts to get voters to approve a bond measure to fund a new school failed in 2024, when a $194 million proposal fell short of the 55% votes needed to pass, getting 53%. District leaders decided to bypass a 2026 attempt, although the need still exists.

“That remains a top priority because the schools are overcrowded and we need to fix that,” Baskett said. “With that [new school], these other things will improve also.”

Dana said he was stunned to hear that Pioneer Valley had a ninth-grade class topping 800 students.

“The facilities weren’t built for this, and there are problems with overcrowding, there are challenges with student supervision and scheduling,” he said. “The atmosphere can even be a little overwhelming for some kids. I’ve heard that.”

If elected, he said he would push to move the process forward as soon as possible. 

“Let’s get another high school for our kids,” he added. 

The forum also included two Santa Maria-Bonita School District Board candidates — incumbent Luz Maria Cabral and Frank Lagattuta, a medical provider and parent.

The seat represents Trustee Area 1, or northwest areas of the district.

Cabral, who joined the board in 2022 and has served as president for 2026, said it’s been a great experience representing Trustee Area 1. 

“I know there’s a lot of potential with our students, and our staff is very caring of our students. I’m very proud to be a part of Santa Maria-Bonita School District,” Cabral said. 

If elected, Laguttuta, whose children attend Santa Maria-Bonita schools, said he would help bridge the gap between the district and parents.

As a health care provider, he said he collaborates with peers to help patients. 

“I believe that same kind of communication, of trust and transparency, is something that I hope to be able to bring to the board and contribute and really help foster those parental relationships to help support our students,” Lagattuta said. 

The winners of each race will take office in December.

In the coming day, the school board candidates forum will be posted to the YouTube channel for the League of Women Voters of Northern Santa Barbara County, available by clicking here.