To promote school choice to parents, the Orange County Board of Education held a public forum aimed at “strengthening California’s charter schools at a local and state level,” featuring a discussion among experts and policymakers Sept. 20. All five members of the board have been strong advocates of charter schools. The board also serves as…

COSTA MESA, Calif.—The Orange County Board of Education appointed Jorge Valdes, an attorney and judge pro-tem from Tustin, to fill the vacant seat for Area 1—which covers Garden Grove, Tustin, Santa Ana, and Fountain Valley—during a board meeting Aug. 17. Valdes was one of the three candidates interviewed by the board to replace former Trustee…

A California bill that would have moved the Orange County Board of Education’s elections from June to November was blocked by a state Assembly committee last week. Senate Bill 286, authored by Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine), passed the state Senate earlier this year but was held on a suspense file in the Assembly Appropriations Committee…

The Orange County Board of Education—whose majority has long been in favor of charter schools and parental choice—is preparing to advocate for their interests at the state level by hiring a government relations firm. The board unanimously voted during a special meeting July 26 to hire Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm David Turch and Associates for…

Orange County Board of Education Trustee Tim Shaw is being sued by Paulette Chaffee—his opponent in the June election—for alleged defamation. Last week, Chaffee—an educator and the wife of OC Supervisor Doug Chaffee—filed a lawsuit claiming she was defamed by two Shaw campaign mailers that called Chaffee a “convicted thief,” in reference to her being…

COSTA MESA, Calif.—The Orange County Board of Education filed a new legal action July 6 in renewed efforts to end Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 state of emergency, which were enacted more than two years ago in March 2020. The board, along with child health advocacy group Children’s Health Defense, filed an amended motion to its…

Orange County Board of Education Trustee Beckie Gomez announced her resignation June 15 after she was sued in March for simultaneously holding positions on the board and the Tustin City Council. In May, Attorney General Rob Bonta approved the lawsuit, which argued that the two offices Gomez holds are “legally incompatible” under a state law…

Each of the three incumbents on the Orange County Board of Education, as well as Superintendent Al Mijares, are poised to win another term in the election. Each incumbent leads the race by a wide margin as of Thursday evening, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters. Unlike most races, the board’s June elections…

COSTA MESA, Calif.—The Orange County Board of Education is making it easier for students to attend schools outside of their districts. Typically, parents can petition the board to allow their child to attend a school outside of their district, in the cases of issues related to transportation, childcare, and the parent’s place of employment. But…

COSTA MESA, Calif.—California State Attorney General Rob Bonta approved a legal challenge May 5 that seeks to remove Orange County Board of Trustee Rebecca “Beckie” Gomez from office for simultaneously serving on two elected seats whose jurisdictions overlap. Tustin resident Mike Tardif filed a quo warranto—a legal challenge questioning the ability of someone to hold…