Alexia Palacios-Peters, the current board president of the Coronado Unified School District, is seeking a second term in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The nonpartisan school board seat is at-large.

Palacios-Peters said she first ran four years ago to serve students and the community. She said she is running again because "the work isn't finished," pointing to the district's transition to Basic Aid funding and the need to move the Portrait of a Graduate strategic plan from a document into classrooms.

Candidate information

Residence: Coronado (since 2017)

Family: Married to Josh Peters, an active-duty Navy captain and MH-60R pilot with more than 24 years of service. Three children: Dominic, a 2025 Coronado High School graduate now attending Mesa College; Donovan, 16, at Coronado High School; and Eva, 13, at Coronado Middle School.

Education: Bachelor's in applied learning and development and elementary education, University of Texas at Austin (2002); J.D. with a specialization in child, family and elder law, California Western School of Law (2008); Master of Laws in international and comparative law, George Washington University Law School (2017).

Party affiliation: Registered Democrat. Palacios-Peters said the school board is a nonpartisan office and that she serves that way. She said she is endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party and the Coronado Democratic Club.

Occupation: Associate attorney at Singleton Schreiber in San Diego, where she represents survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking. She is licensed in California and Texas and before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Experience and public service

Elected office: Trustee, Coronado Unified School District Governing Board, since December 2022. Elected unanimously as board president for two consecutive terms.

Board leadership: Co-chaired the Coronado High School 4x4 bell schedule committee, which she described as one of the most divisive issues the district has faced.

Legal career: Managing attorney for the restraining order clinic at the San Diego Family Justice Center (2009–2014), representing people affected by domestic violence and sexual assault. CEO and executive director of the San Diego Family Justice Center Foundation (2014–2015). Immigration attorney at the Law Office of Faize Rasul (2016–2017). Attorney advisor at the Board of Veterans' Appeals, adjudicating veterans' disability appeals.

Teaching: Pre-kindergarten educator at Austin Independent School District.

Community roles: President, Safe Harbor Coronado Board of Directors. President, San Diego Naval Officers' Spouses' Club (two terms). Treasurer, Coronado Band & Choir Boosters. Co-chair, League of Wives Memorial Project, which she said raised more than $400,000 over three years to build the nation's first memorial honoring military spouses. In 2024, she and her husband received the City of Coronado's VADM James and Sybil Stockdale Award for Community Service.

On the issues

Basic Aid transition: Palacios-Peters said the district is entering its biggest financial shift in a generation. The board deliberately spent down reserves to bridge the transition to Basic Aid, and 2027–28 will be the first Basic Aid year, she said. The plan is to rebuild reserves to cover six months of district expenses, then invest in teachers, staff and facilities. She said she helped build that plan and wants to see it through.

Portrait of a Graduate: She said she participated in developing the district's Portrait of a Graduate strategic plan, which establishes the knowledge, skills and mindset envisioned for a Coronado graduate. She said the plan now needs to move from a document into classrooms.

Military family representation: Palacios-Peters said about 40 percent of district students come from military families. As the only military spouse on the board, she said she has advocated for those families in the boardroom, in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C.

Board governance: She said she wants to protect the respectful, professional board culture the current trustees have built. She cited her experience setting monthly agendas with the superintendent and running meetings that stayed "civil, focused, and on time."

Coronado residents can find more information about school board candidates on the district's governing board page.