Fair Game 052926
Stu News Laguna · Tom Johnson
- Published:
- 2026-05-29
- Retrieved:
- 2026-05-29
Tom Johnson's Fair Game column naming the declared field for the November 2026 LBUSD board election (three of five seats up): incumbent Joan Malczewski (reelection bid announced two weeks prior), former FUEL president Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal, and parent and CEO Kimberly Smith (kimberlyforlagunaschoolboard.com). Recaps the 2024 Morgan/Hills election that created a new majority alongside Dee Perry, the Viloria termination after nine years, the Glass hire-and-separation, and the subsequent Austin appointment. Off-topic city, sports, arts, real-estate, and business blurbs in the same edition are out of scope.
Key points
- Names three declared candidates for the three LBUSD board seats up in November 2026: incumbent Joan Malczewski (Ph.D.), Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal, and Kimberly Smith.
- Joan Malczewski announced her reelection bid roughly two weeks before the column; identified as the board's minority voice.
- Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal stepped down from FUEL leadership to run; her candidacy was first reported in the May 26 Fair Game column.
- Kimberly Smith is a parent of two children at Top of the World Elementary and a CEO with a background in budgets, systems, and accountability; campaign site kimberlyforlagunaschoolboard.com.
- Recaps the governance backdrop: the 2024 election of Morgan and Hills creating a new majority with Perry, the termination of nine-year superintendent Jason Viloria, the hire and sub-one-year separation of Jason Glass, and the subsequent appointment of Donald Austin.
Cited by 1 event
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Tom Johnson, Fair Game column, Stu News Laguna, May 29, 2026. Names Malczewski, Sheik-Sadhal, and Smith as the declared field for the three November 2026 board seats.