Santa Ana voters have spoken, and their message was clear: despite years of financial turmoil, declining enrollment, teacher layoffs, and academic performance that continues to lag behind neighboring districts, incumbent school board trustees Hector Bustos and Katelyn Brazer Aceves were reelected with decisive margins.
In Trustee Area 4, Katelyn Brazer Aceves defeated challenger Sylvia Iglesias by a margin of 56.75% to 43.25%. In Trustee Area 5, Hector Bustos cruised to reelection with nearly 70% of the vote, defeating challenger Alejandra Rodriguez 69.70% to 30.30%.
The results are a remarkable vote of confidence in two trustees who have governed during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the Santa Ana Unified School District.
Voters Reward Incumbency Despite Troubling District Performance
Unfortunately for Santa Ana families, election victories do not change the realities facing the district.
SAUSD is currently struggling with a budget deficit estimated at approximately $187 million. District leaders recently approved the layoff of roughly 280 teachers, counselors, social workers, and other employees while also eliminating hundreds of vacant positions in an effort to stabilize district finances.
The financial crisis did not arrive unexpectedly. Enrollment within SAUSD has been declining for years. Before the pandemic, district enrollment was approximately 47,000 students. Today, the district serves roughly 36,000 students, representing a loss of about one-quarter of its student population. Since state funding follows students, enrollment declines have dramatically reduced district revenues.
Critics have questioned why district leaders continued approving expensive labor agreements while enrollment and revenues were shrinking. The district approved a substantial new contract with the teachers’ union and then found itself forced to issue layoff notices shortly afterward. For many families, that sequence of events raises serious concerns about financial planning and oversight.
Given SAUSD’s continuing enrollment declines and ongoing budget crisis, questions are likely to emerge regarding whether the district can continue operating its current number of school campuses. While no formal proposal has been announced regarding Century High School, school consolidations are often considered by districts facing significant enrollment losses and financial pressure. We are hearing that Century High School could be on the chopping block.
A Massive Teacher Contract Followed by Massive Teacher Layoffs
One of the greatest frustrations for parents and taxpayers is the sequence of events that led to the district’s current budget crisis.
District leaders approved a costly compensation package for teachers and employees even as enrollment continued to decline and state funding projections worsened. Not long afterward, the district announced sweeping reductions that eliminated hundreds of positions.
While teachers understandably welcomed salary increases, the district’s inability to align compensation obligations with long-term revenues has left students and employees facing uncertainty. Effective financial stewardship requires more than approving contracts. It requires ensuring that those commitments remain sustainable years into the future.
Instead, SAUSD now finds itself cutting personnel while trying to recover from decisions that many observers believe should have been carefully reexamined long before layoffs became necessary.
Santa Ana Students Continue to Struggle Academically
Financial problems would be less alarming if academic performance were soaring. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
Recent state testing data indicate that only about 33% of SAUSD students met or exceeded state standards in English Language Arts, while only about 22% met or exceeded standards in Mathematics.
In practical terms, roughly two-thirds of students are not proficient readers at grade level, while nearly four out of five students are not meeting state math standards.
The California School Dashboard continues to rate the district only in the middle performance range despite years of promises regarding academic improvement.
For a district serving some of Orange County’s most vulnerable students, these numbers should be setting off alarm bells throughout the community.
Irvine and Tustin Students Are Being Better Prepared for Success
The contrast between SAUSD and surrounding districts is difficult to ignore.
Students attending Irvine Unified School District schools routinely rank among the highest-performing students in California. Tustin Unified School District students also significantly outperform SAUSD students in reading, mathematics, college readiness, and other key academic indicators.
The consequences extend far beyond test scores.
Students who graduate from stronger-performing districts generally have greater access to competitive universities, scholarships, advanced coursework, internships, and career opportunities. Strong literacy and math skills remain among the most important predictors of future educational and workplace success.
Children growing up in Santa Ana possess the same potential as children growing up in Irvine or Tustin. The difference is often the quality and effectiveness of the educational systems responsible for preparing them for adulthood.
What Hector Bustos Promised Voters
During his reelection campaign, Hector Bustos focused on:
- Literacy and academic recovery
- Expanded mental health services
- Career Technical Education programs
- Workforce preparation
- Responsible budgeting and accountability
Bustos argued that the district has made progress and should continue pursuing the current course rather than changing direction.
Voters clearly agreed.
The challenge now becomes demonstrating measurable results that justify that confidence.
What Katelyn Brazer Aceves Promised Voters
Katelyn Brazer Aceves campaigned on:
- Improving student achievement
- Expanding literacy initiatives
- Supporting English learners
- College and career readiness
- Family engagement programs
- Community partnerships
- Fiscal transparency
Aceves highlighted district programs, literacy coaches, partnerships with higher education institutions, and school facilities improvements as evidence that existing leadership deserves additional time.
The voters agreed, giving her a comfortable victory over challenger Sylvia Iglesias.
Why Do Santa Ana Voters Keep Supporting the Same Leadership?
The election results raise a difficult but important question.
Why do voters continue supporting incumbents when district finances are deteriorating and student outcomes remain disappointing?
Several explanations appear likely.
Teachers’ unions and other public employee unions remain among the most influential political organizations in local elections. Their endorsements, campaign volunteers, canvassing operations, and financial support often provide incumbents with significant advantages.
School board elections also receive far less voter attention than races for mayor, city council, governor, or president. Many voters have little familiarity with district finances, enrollment trends, or state academic performance data when casting ballots.
Incumbency itself carries substantial advantages. Sitting trustees regularly appear at district events, are frequently featured in district communications, and enjoy greater name recognition than challengers.
As a result, campaigns often become contests of messaging rather than accountability for results.
Santa Ana’s Children Deserve Better
The biggest issue is not who won the election.
The biggest issue is whether Santa Ana’s children are receiving the education they need to compete with students throughout Orange County and across California.
Today, the district remains burdened by a massive budget deficit, declining enrollment, widespread layoffs, and academic performance that trails many neighboring districts.
Meanwhile, students in Irvine, Tustin, Newport-Mesa, and other high-performing districts continue to strengthen the reading, writing, mathematics, and critical-thinking skills that will help determine their future success in college and the workforce.
Santa Ana students deserve those same opportunities.
By reelecting Hector Bustos and Katelyn Brazer Aceves, voters chose continuity over change. The next four years will reveal whether that decision leads to genuine academic and financial improvement or simply more of the same. If student achievement does not significantly improve and the district’s fiscal problems continue, voters may eventually conclude that loyalty to incumbents came at too high a cost for the children SAUSD is supposed to serve.