Four candidates are competing for three seats on the Coronado Unified School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Results are not yet available. Initial returns are expected shortly after polls close at 8 p.m. The latest results will be updated.

Incumbents Alexia Palacios-Peters and Malachy "Mal" Sandie are seeking second terms. Newcomers Peggy Duncan and Kaye Schneider round out the field. The board is elected at-large, meaning the top three vote-getters win, according to the Coronado Times.

As we reported Nov. 1, the candidates have staked out positions on a range of issues facing the district.

What's at stake

Whoever wins will guide CUSD through a major financial shift. The district is expected to reach Basic Aid status on July 1, 2027, when it will be funded by local property taxes, the Coronado Times reported. That change could bring ongoing revenue increases of $10 million to $12 million a year.

That new money arrives alongside big needs. CUSD Board President Renee Cavanaugh estimated that installing air conditioning across district schools could cost more than $40 million, according to the Coronado Eagle & Journal. "Needing to call a minimum day due to heat is disruptive for students, teachers, and families," Cavanaugh said.

The candidates

Palacios-Peters, 46, is an attorney and military spouse seeking a second term. She served two years as board president, the Coronado Times reported. She said funding discussions have overlooked classified staff. "We don't talk enough about the front desk staff, custodial staff, nutrition and services workers, instructional assistants," Palacios-Peters said, according to the Eagle & Journal. About 41 percent of CUSD students come from military families, she said in a San Diego Union-Tribune Q&A.

Sandie, a retired Navy captain, has served on the board since November 2022, according to the Eagle & Journal. He has pushed to restrict cell phones in schools and wants to use Basic Aid revenue to raise teacher pay and add solar power and air conditioning, the Coronado Times reported.

Duncan, an attorney, listed student mental health and technology policies, including artificial intelligence, as top priorities, the Coronado Times reported. She is married to Coronado Mayor John Duncan.

Schneider taught middle school in Arizona for more than a decade before moving to Coronado in 1992, the Coronado Times reported. She wants more parent-teacher communication, including evening conferences for working parents. She said the district needs to rebuild reserves and examine class sizes as Basic Aid revenue arrives.

How to vote and track results

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at vote centers across San Diego County, according to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. may still cast a ballot. Voters can find their nearest vote center at sdvote.com.

A first batch of results, including early votes cast through Monday, Nov. 2, is expected shortly after 8 p.m., with a second update a few hours later, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Official certified results are due by Dec. 3.