Fresno is home to several school districts, all featuring boards of trustees dedicated to managing massive budgets and overseeing district policy.

This year, multiple trustee seats are up for grabs, including some vacated by incumbents.

Now, with the application window officially closed, candidate lists are finalized. Some races are packed with new faces, while in other races incumbents are running unopposed.

Fresno Unified, serving over 68,000 students, features the most contentious races with impressive funding and big-name endorsements.

Trustees, representing the state’s third-largest school district, have their work cut out for them.

The long-struggling district is battling declining enrollment and a dwindling budget as it pushes to improve student outcomes.

In June, trustees approved a $1.66 billion budget, down from a high of $2.3 billion, after scaling down reserve levels, authorizing an early retirement incentive, and eliminating hundreds of positions.

Fresno Unified has four seats up for election in November with three incumbents looking to continue their tenure on the board. Keshia Thomas, who represents the Edison region, is running for Fresno City Council District 3.

Area 1 — Edison High School

Four individuals are vying to represent the Edison High region: Rizpah Bellard, Miguel Arias, Deshunna Ricks, and Daren Miller.

Bellard, a rancher and educator, began her campaign last November, earning impressive endorsements and plenty of cash.

She has a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and has worked as a substitute for Fresno Unified.

Currently, Bellard has gained almost $24,400 in contributions and has $11,473 cash on hand. The Fresno Teachers Association, who publicly backed Bellard, donated $7,500 to her campaign.

Fresno City Councilmembers Tyler Maxwell and Nelson Esparza have also endorsed her.

Miller, a Fresno native and Roosevelt High School graduate, has five degrees including a doctoral degree from Fresno State in educational leadership with a K-12 emphasis.

He previously served as a Fresno County Office of Education Trustee for Area 3 but lost his bid for re-election in 2020.

Miller has collected $8,744 in contributions and has about $2,400 in cash on hand. Fresno City Councilmember Brandon Vang endorsed him.

Deshunna Ricks attended Fresno Unified and worked as a district educator for 11 years. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Fresno State alongside an Ed.D in organizational leadership from Brandman University.

She gained about $11,300 in contributions and has $1,297 in cash.

Arias, a city councilmember since 2019, recently filed to run but has not reported any campaign contributions.

He worked as Fresno Unified’s chief information officer for eight years and served on the State Center Community College District board for one term.

Area 3 — Sunnyside High School

The Sunnyside region has been long represented by incumbent Valerie Davis. But Riley Talford, a union leader and retirement association chairman, is mounting a challenge.

Davis, who has served as a trustee since 2004, was born and raised in Fresno. She received her bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from Fresno State.

Beginning at 18 years old, Davis served Fresno Unified in multiple roles including as an aide and first-grade teacher.

She has raised $8,290 in contributions and has a campaign balance of $12,161.

Talford earned master’s in education from National University and has experience substituting in Fresno Unified and coaching sports teams.

He has a union background, serving as SEIU Local 521 Fresno County Chapter President and SEIU Local 521 Local Wide Vice President.

Area 4 — McLane High School

Veva Islas is hoping to maintain her seat representing the McLane region as she faces off against Karen Steed and Mirna Navarro Garcia.

Islas has served two terms as a trustee and is currently president of the board. She has a Bachelor of Science from Fresno State and a master’s in public health from Loma Linda University.

She is the founder and executive director of Cultiva La Salud, a public health advocacy nonprofit.

Steed, a retired Fresno Unified educator, casts herself as a conservative alternative to Islas, who is outspoken about her liberal views.

In 2022, Islas defeated Steed by a slim margin of 400 votes.

Navarro Garcia is the South Tower Community Land Trustee Board Treasurer and the founder of Llaves de tu Casa, a Fresno housing initiative.

“Our children deserve classrooms that reflect their potential, and our families deserve a voice that listens, advocates, and builds bridges,” she said in a Facebook post.

None of the candidates have reported campaign contributions.

Area 7 — Bullard High School

Trustee Susan Wittrup, a retired Fresno Unified psychologist, is running unopposed after beating incumbent Terry Slatic in 2022.

Wittrup boasts the largest campaign fund with about $104,000 in contributions and a big-name endorsement from Mayor Jerry Dyer.

(Editor’s Note: GV Wire Publisher Darius Assemi, who is Wittrup’s partner, donated $15,000.) 

Clovis Unified, in comparison, features a sleepy ballot filled to the brim with unopposed incumbents.

Keeping the district status quo appears to be working. Clovis Unified recently became the state’s 11th largest district, boasting growth that defies statewide declines.

The district has maintained stellar academic performance, producing the highest state testing scores for a K-12 school district in Fresno County last year.

Area 1

Clint Olivier, a small business owner and veteran, is running unopposed for the Area 1 seat. Olivier comes with experience, serving as a Fresno City Council member for two terms and representing Clovis Unified since 2022. Area 1 encompasses the northwest portion of the district with a majority of students attending Clovis West.

He has gained $450 in contributions and has about $6,300 in his campaign treasury.

Area 3

Tiffany Stoker Madsen joined the board in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022. Now, she is running for her third term unopposed.

Madsen attended Clovis Unified schools and holds degrees from Brigham Young University and U.C. Hastings College of Law. She practiced labor and employment law before staying home to raise her children. Area 3 spans a northern portion of the district including Buchanan High School.

She did not report any campaign contributions.

Area 6  

Deena Combs-Flores, a middle-school teacher at Yosemite Unified, became a trustee in 2022 and is running unopposed.

Combs-Flores holds a master’s degree in education from National University and recently became a professional learning specialist at Imagine Learning. Area 6 is in the southwest portion of Clovis Unified that includes Tarpey Village. She did not report any campaign contributions.

Central Unified offers a mixed bag with several incumbents not looking to retain their position.

The growing district, located in west Fresno, currently serves almost 16,000 students with the majority being socioeconomically disadvantaged.

It has been steadily improving academically but remains below the state average.

The district has five trustee seats up for election, including one uncontested race in Area 2.

Area 1

Joshua Sellers, who became a trustee in 2022 and works for the Fresno Fire Department, is seeking reelection.

John Nale, a farmer and vintner, has filed to oppose Sellers. He owns Ziveli Winery, which brings “the spirit of Croatian wine to the San Joaquin Valley.”

Neither candidate reported campaign contributions for Area 1, located in the northwest portion of the district. The area includes Central High School.

Area 2

Aimee Diener, a business owner, is running unopposed after Board President Yesenia Carrillo decided not to run for another term.

Diener did not report any contributions. Area 2 skirts the northeast corner of the district.

Area 3

Earlier this year, Natalie Chavez resigned because she was moving out of California.

Trustees appointed Harman Singh, a community organizer and education policy advocate, to the seat. Area 3 is wedged between Area 1 and 2 in the northern portion of the district and includes Rio Vista Middle School.

Now, he is now running for his first official term.

Singh grew up in Central Unified schools, graduating as a valedictorian from Central High School before obtaining a degree in political science from UCLA.

Singh has served as a City of Fresno Parks, Recreation, and Arts Commissioner for four years.

Erica Gonzalez Piedra, an educator at Fresno Unified, is also vying to represent Area 3.

Gonzalez Piedra has worked for 27 years in a K-12 setting, holding positions as a teacher, principal, and district leader. Her work centers on English leaders and dual-immersion programs.

Lavera Smith, a childcare service program director, is also campaigning for the seat.

None of the candidates have reported any campaign contributions.

Area 4

Trustee Nabil Kherfan is not seeking reelection, leaving the Area 4 post wide open.

Jomar Rushdam, a management analyst, and Carmen Flores, a small business owner, are answering the call. Both have filed to run in Area 4.

Both have not reported any campaign contributions for Area 4, which runs along Highway 99. The c-shaped area is located in the middle of the district.

Area 7

Incumbent Naindeep Singh is a candidate for Fresno City Council District 1.

Area 7, which is tucked between Area 1 and Area 4, includes Justin Garza High School.

Richard Martinez Jr., a businessman, and Diljot Singh Rai, a Central Unified graduate and student family outreach coordinator for a local nonprofit, are hoping to take Singh’s place.

Previously, Martinez ran for the Fresno County Board of Educators and Central Unified’s Area 6 seat.

Singh Rai and Martinez have not reported any campaign contributions.