LAUSD Board Member Schmerelson Leading Bid for Re

Incumbent Scott Schmerelson was clinging to a narrow lead Tuesday evening in his bid for another term on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education, which will feature two new faces thanks to the pending retirements of Jackie Goldberg and George McKenna.

In the battling for McKenna's District 1 seat — representing areas including Palms, South Los Angeles, Baldwin Hills and Koreatown — longtime Dorsey High School teacher Sherlett Hendy Newbill handily defeated community organizer Kahllid Al-Alim in Tuesday's election.

They both advanced to the runoff by topping a seven-candidate field in the March primary election, but neither received the 50% of the vote needed to claim the seat outright.

Newbill touted her years of experience as a teacher, coach and parent. She is calling for increased counseling and mental health support for students, improved safety on school campuses and "supportive school environments."

"As a board member, my heart and my door will always be open to working with you, whether you are a parent, teacher, administrator, or concerned community member," she said on her campaign website.

Al-Alim called for more parent engagement and ending the "school to prison pipeline." His campaign took a hit during the primary due to the emergence of antisemitic social media posts, costing him the endorsement of the influential United Teachers Los Angeles teachers union. The candidate apologized for the posts.

"There is a very long history of Jewish and Black people backing each other and working in solidarity for justice. I want to continue that important work," he said in a Feb. 20 statement.

In District 3, which covers much of the northern and western San Fernando Valley, voters elected Schmerelson to represent the district in 2014 and again in 2020. As of late Tuesday night, he had about 53% of the vote, giving him a narrow lead over teacher Dan Chang.

During his campaign, Schmerelson vowed to improve student safety and equip schools with current technology, air conditioning and air filtration. He has also touted his work as a "watchdog" for the schools to ensure they receive their fair share of funding.

"Scott has doggedly pursued that promise, ensuring that the taxpayers' money is spent wisely, making sure the board District 3 schools received their share of facility upgrades, and constantly focused on community needs such as having safe, clean and environmentally aware schools," according to his website.

Chang's campaign says he wants to "empower" schools in the valley by cutting through the district's bureaucracy, while improving student safety and ensuring students are prepared to move on to college.

"We need change so that every school is fully funded and empowered," according to his website. "That starts by working together to: reduce the Downtown budget and redistribute funding to school sites. Then, local schools can decide how to best serve their students' needs."

In District 5, which stretches from the East Hollywood and Eagle Rock area to southeast Los Angeles, four candidates — teacher Karla Griego was handily outpacing teacher and Huntington Park City Councilwoman Graciela "Grace" Ortiz in their race to take over the seat being vacated by Goldberg, who has held the post since 2019.

Griego, who was endorsed by Goldberg, said she wants to improve support services on campuses and advocate for "marginalized students."

On her website, she said her 20 years as a special education teacher has taught her "the things that students, parents, and educators truly need are never given to us. Crucial services for English Learners and students with disabilities, protections and support for our most vulnerable students, and good wages and reasonable case loads and class sizes for educators, these were all won through students, parents, and educators organizing together to make our voices heard."

Ortiz said she wants to "build communities through education."

"She strongly believes that if our school system and communities work in collaboration, our society will strengthen and in turn improve the quality of life for all," according to her website. "As a council member, Graciela has collaborated with schools and educators in the city to provide resources, opportunities and programs that will enhance the education of all children. Graciela knows that a child's education is the key to their success and the success of all our communities."

Tanya Ortiz Franklin won re-election outright in March for the District 7 seat, which covers an area including Carson, San Pedro, Gardena and parts of South Los Angeles.