Understanding the Role

A Distinct Body with a Specialized Mission

Most residents are familiar with their local school district boards, which run neighborhood schools. The Placer County Board of Education operates differently. It is a distinct, countywide elected body that governs the Placer County Office of Education (PCOE).

While local districts serve students within specific geographic boundaries, the County Board helps serve the county as a whole. We step in to serve students who require services their home district cannot offer alone.

Operating under a framework of "shared governance" with a separately elected County Superintendent, the Board ensures public accountability, manages resources responsibly, and advocates for strong educational opportunities throughout our community.

The Students and Programs Governed - Who Do We Serve?

The County Board directly oversees education for students the broader system too often overlooks:

• Pathways Charter School: A TK–12 charter school offering three distinct programs. This includes iLearn Academy (an independent and hybrid study model for home-educating families), iCARE (a community school program providing tailored academic and social-emotional support for at-promise youth), and the Come Back Program (helping adults finish the high school diploma that life interrupted).
  
• The Honour Schaps Court School: Serving incarcerated youth with intensive intervention, counseling, and a structured path back toward school, work, and stability.
  
• Regional Special Education Programs: Serving students from infancy through age 22 whose needs require a specialized program not offered in their local districts. This includes regional programs for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, Severe Multiple Disabilities, and the ESTEEM program for students with emotional challenges.

The Responsibilities of a Trustee

The day-to-day work of a Trustee is highly detailed and hands-on. Each Trustee serves as a direct liaison to a designated focus area—like budget development, charter schools, or student outcomes—visiting school sites and working alongside staff throughout the planning process.

Our core responsibilities include:

• Financial and Academic Oversight: Reviewing and approving the county office budget and Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) to tie resources directly to measurable student achievement.
  
• The Appeals Body: Serving as the appellate body for families, hearing formal appeals on interdistrict transfers, student expulsions, and charter school decisions.

The decisions made by this board quietly determine whether a student receives the education, resources, and second chance they deserve. I am running to bring a decade of authentic education policy experience to this vital oversight work.