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Update Nov. 20:  LA voters overwhelmingly approved a $9 billion bond measure to repair and upgrade LAUSD’s aging school buildings. Measure US was backed by LAUSD school board members, district superintendent Alberto Carvalho, the teachers union and local construction groups; and passed with 68% of the vote. Measure US would be LAUSD’s largest ever school facilities bond, and would be paid for with property tax increases. The headline on this article has been updated to reflect the vote. 

A high-stakes school board race in Los Angeles was too close to call as mail-in ballots were still being counted Tuesday.

Charter-supporting upstart Dan Chang is trying to win the seat for LA Unified’s School Board District 3 in LA’s San Fernando Valley away from incumbent Scott Schmerelson, a longtime LAUSD educator backed by the local teachers union. 

The race’s outcome could help decide the fate of the nation’s largest charter school sector and second largest public school district, as it contends with falling enrollments, rising school violence and an uneven academic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Chang, a rabble-rousing math teacher at James Madison Middle School in North Hollywood, is coming from behind in the race. As of Tuesday he trailed behind Schmerelson with 48% of the vote, versus 52% for Schmerelson. That’s compared to a 11-point deficit Chang faced as votes first came in last Tuesday. 

Millions were spent in the contest between the two men that could tip the district’s school board away from a 4-3 majority of union-backed members and potentially impact the board’s handling of several hot-button policies and thorny issues facing LAUSD. 

The county was still counting mail-in votes as of Tuesday and the race could be called as soon as later this week, campaign officials said.    

In a statement, Chang said he looked forward to the election’s final results. “I believe our campaign for change will overcome,” said Chang. “It’s going to be a roller coaster of a week!”   

Schmerelson’s campaign didn’t respond to requests for comment, and Schmerelson has appeared at board meetings as usual.  

Two other LA Unified school board races being decided by voters this year were not as close as that of District 3. For District 1 in South LA, Sherlett Hendy Newbill led Kahllid Al-Alim with 71% of the vote, versus 29% for Al-Alim.

For LAUSD Board District 5, which covers parts of Northeast and Southeast LA, Karla Greigo led Graciela Ortiz with 61% of the vote, versus 39% held by Ortiz.

Meanwhile, LA voters turned out to show their approval for a $9 billion bond measure to repair and upgrade aging school buildings. 

As of Tuesday, 68% of ballots were cast in favor of Measure US, which was backed by members of the LAUSD board, district superintendent Alberto Carvalho, the teachers union and local construction groups.  

Measure US would be LAUSD’s largest ever school facilities bond, and would be paid for with property tax increases. It requires a 55% majority in order to pass. 
The Los Angeles County Clerk is providing updated vote counts daily. As of Tuesday the clerk had recorded more than 3.6 million votes in all the elections held on November 5, with nearly 36% of eligible voters still uncounted.