Kelly Gonez, two-term incumbent representing East San Fernando Valley, faces no opposition in June 2 primary for LAUSD Board District 6 seat as voters head to the polls.
** — Kelly Gonez, a two-term incumbent representing the East San Fernando Valley, will face no opposition in the June 2 primary election for her seat on the Los Angeles Unified School Board.
The only name on the ballot for District 6 is Gonez, who was first elected in 2017 and is serving her final term. A qualified write-in candidate would have to earn more than 50 percent of the vote to defeat her, making her victory nearly certain.
District 6 encompasses the eastern San Fernando Valley and parts of North Hollywood and North Hills, an area with more than 400,000 students in the nation's second-largest school system.
Gonez has served on the board since 2017, representing a community she knows well. During her tenure, she has focused on several key issues facing the East San Fernando Valley, including:
Gonez is a former teacher at a charter school and served as an education policy adviser during the Obama administration. She is also the parent of three LAUSD students.
Her past campaigns have garnered support from both charter school advocates and the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles.
The board currently faces several pressing challenges as it navigates the future of the district:
In February, a divided board approved the elimination of more than 650 jobs as part of a plan to cut spending. Decisions about more layoffs and school closures could be on the horizon.
LAUSD board members have significant power over the district's direction:
A board member's salary is $130,000 if they don't have another source of income, as of July 2025. In addition to money for a chief of staff and administrative assistant, the district provides each board office with about $374,000 of discretionary funding.
The election for District 6 is one of three board seats on the June 2 primary ballot. Three of the seven seats on the LAUSD school board are up for election this year, including the San Fernando Valley's District 6 — the only seat that is now uncontested.
Voters directly elect members of the school board in Los Angeles, unlike in New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C., where the mayor appoints education leaders.
The board has identified several key areas of focus for the upcoming term:
The board majority consists of candidates elected with the endorsement of the teachers union. This election will not change that balance because five seats are held by union-friendly incumbents, but the outcome will determine whether UTLA can further strengthen its hand or whether other constituencies will gain power at the union's expense.
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This article was generated with AI assistance.