SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif.—Following the resignation of Trustee Pamela Braunstein earlier this month, the Capistrano Unified School District voted to hold a special election in November to fill the Area 2 trustee vacant seat rather than through appointment. “It is my recommendation for this board to call an election,” Kirsten Vital Brulte, Capistrano Unified School District superintendent, said during the meeting. “We think it’s important . . . to focus on teaching, learning, and the well-being of students.” Trustee Krista Castellanos said an appointment may have been considered before the pandemic. However, since 2020, the needs of the community and what happens in the boardroom have changed. “Something happened in the world,” Trustee Krista Castellanos said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic as “a life-altering event” for everyone. “Maybe we can go back to it at some point, but I think it’s important … that we go to an election at …