Santa Barbara Unified School District’s financial and academic challenges demand serious examination of its current leadership and a clear plan for improvement.
Preliminary 2025–26 results show that 46.7 percent of students did not meet English Language Arts standards and 56.1 percent did not meet math standards. Achievement gaps, particularly among Emergent Multilingual Learners, require focused attention.
Financial pressures are equally serious. SBUSD reported deficits of $17.7 million in 2024–25 and $5.4 million in 2025–26, with $9.7 million projected for 2026–27 and $5.1 million for 2027–28 — nearly $38 million in reported and projected deficits.
Reserves have declined from 18.68 percent in 2023–24 to 11.02 percent in 2025–26, with further declines projected to 8.67 percent in 2026–27 and 8.43% in 2027–28.
These results raise fundamental questions about the effectiveness of existing financial oversight, spending priorities, and strategies for improving student achievement.
Valerie Amparan, an SBUSD parent, UCSB graduate, and nonprofit executive, brings experience in technology, strategic planning, fundraising, and organizational leadership. Her stated priorities include balanced budgets, financial safeguards, and improved reading and math outcomes.
Her proposed approach emphasizes using data and the Local Control and Accountability Plan to identify achievement gaps, align resources with students’ greatest needs, and measure results.
The incumbent’s record and Valerie Amparan’s proposed approach offer voters an opportunity to examine two different paths forward. The question is which approach can deliver stronger financial oversight, strategically align resources with students’ greatest needs, and produce measurable improvements in academic achievement. Santa Barbara’s students deserve more than promises — they deserve results.
