In an early comeback race for the Los Angeles Board of Education, two-term incumbent Scott Schmerelson led challenger Dan Chan to represent District 3 in the western San Fernando Valley. And in the 5th District, which arcs north and west of downtown and encompasses several cities in southeastern L.A. County, longtime teacher Carla Griego is ahead of school counselor Graciela Ortiz. was.

The results seemed more certain in District 1, which covers South and Southwest Los Angeles, where veteran educator Charlette Hendy Newbill, a community activist and parent, said He had an overwhelming lead over Khalid Al-Alim from the beginning.

The seven-member school board sets policy for the nation’s second-largest school district, which educates about 420,000 students and employs about 74,000 teachers, administrators and other staff. . The Board of Education is responsible for the district’s $18.4 billion budget. Members may also hire and evaluate superintendents.

The Los Angeles School Board Districts 3 and 5 races were high-stakes campaigns between two competing political interest groups, but the groups in each district were not the same. Total outdoor spending for both races through Monday is close to the record level of more than $15 million set in 2017.

Once the results are known, the district’s evolving leadership could become more or less favorable toward charter schools, while also impacting the future of school police and the level of support for Los Angeles schools efforts. There is a possibility of giving. Alberto Carvalho.

district 3

In the board race with the most outside spending (more than $7.8 million), the teachers union backed two-term incumbent Schmerelson, a former principal, while charter school advocates and allies backed the Valley’s middle school He supported Mr. Chan, who is a mathematics teacher.

Mr. Schmerelson was not hostile to charter schools, but when charter school proposals came before the school board, he became a reliable vote for more restrictions and increased oversight of charter schools. Ta.

United Teachers Los Angeles, which represents the district’s teachers, counselors and nurses, spent virtually all of its $2.4 million in voluntary spending on Schmerelson’s behalf in the San Fernando Valley race.

Mr. Chan currently teaches in public schools, but has spent much of his career as a senior manager in charter school organizations or in pro-charter organizations.

The biggest funder of the independence movement on Chang’s behalf is former businessman Bill Bloomfield and advocates for the California Charter School Association. Independent expenditures on behalf of Mr. Chan totaled more than $5.4 million, representing a spending advantage of more than 2:1 compared to external expenditures on Mr. Schmerelson.

5th ward

The winner of this contest will succeed Jackie Goldberg as school board president.

The contest pitted the district’s two most powerful unions, often allied, against each other in an attempt to gain political advantage in their influence over the school board.

United Teachers Los Angeles supported Mr. Griego, who was ahead in the primary. UTLA’s political action committee spent virtually all of its approximately $2.4 million in outside spending supporting Griego.

The local Service Employees International Union 99 supported Ortiz, providing most of the more than $2.2 million in voluntary spending on her behalf. Local 99 members include custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, teacher aides, and security aides.

Other unions, Democrats, and charter school supporters made smaller contributions. Ortiz ran unsuccessfully against Goldberg in the past, but was elected to the Huntington Park City Council and is relinquishing that post to run for the Los Angeles Board of Education.

District 1

The race that looked like it would be decided the quickest was between Hendy Newbir and Al Alim, with Hendy Newbir emerging into the lead early on.

The winner will succeed George McKenna, who is retiring after serving two full terms and a partial term.

McKenna’s departure widens the debate and could create a new front line between teachers’ union and charter supporters. However, charter supporters were never effectively organized.

UTLA candidate Al Alim was in a strong position in the primary. However, evidence has surfaced that he reposted or “liked” social media posts containing anti-Semitic, pro-gun, or pornographic content. He apologized, but UTLA ended its support just before primary election day.

However, UTLA’s so far $735,000-plus pro-al-Alim campaign helped push Al-Alim into a run-off.

Finishing ahead of him in the primary and coming out on top Tuesday was Hendy Newbill, once a strong candidate with limited financial support.

UTLA belatedly endorsed her long after the primary, but spent less than $1,000 on her behalf. McKenna had always supported Hendy Newbill.

She most recently worked for him as a senior policy advisor and also had a long career as a teacher, dean and coach at Dorsey High School. She is also the parent of a current student in the district.

Although she is considered a political moderate in the liberal Los Angeles context, her apparent victory is not due to special interests. Her stance closely matches McKenna’s.

LAUSD bonds have strong early support

Measure US is leading by a wide margin in early returns. A supermajority of 55% is required to pass.

The measure would provide $9 billion in school construction bonds to the Los Angeles Unified School District. The dollars will be used to repair and modernize buildings, equipment and technology. This money would be repaid over time through increased property taxes, which average about $25 per $100,000 of assessed value for residential properties.

Overhaul Lead Redistricting

Charter Amendment LL, which created a new process for drawing district boundaries for school boards, had a strong lead in early returns.

The charter amendment would transfer control of redistricting from incumbent elected officials to an independent citizen commission.

Supporters hope the new system will create fairer districts for voters and limit the ability of elected officials to use their power in unscrupulous ways.