Two trustee areas are contested as district manages budget cuts, major campus improvements and a coming leadership transition
San Luis Obispo, Calif. (San Luis Obispo Online) – In the November 3, 2026, general election, residents in two trustee areas of San Luis Coastal Unified School District will elect board trustees, while board trustee appointments are expected in the remaining seats due to just one qualified candidate running in those areas and California’s appointment procedure in lieu of elections.
The upcoming election takes place against the backdrop of the district advancing a facilities modernization program valued at $349 million, recognizing various state and national awards for education, coping with multimillion budget reductions, and preparing for the imminent departure of the longtime Superintendent Eric Prater.
San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD) serves San Luis Obispo and its surrounding communities of Avila, Edna Valley, Los Osos, Morro Bay, and North Pismo Beach. The district educates around 7,500 students from pre-K to 12th grade and an adult education program.
According to San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s certified list of candidates, the following candidates are running for the seats in trustee Areas 1 and 2 of the San Luis Coastal Unified School District Board: Marilyn Rodger versus Betty Winholtz in Area 1 and Marisa Gomez versus Michael Glavan in Area 2. In turn, the following two qualified candidates are expected to be appointed in lieu of elections in trustee Areas 4 and 5 of the district: incumbent Mark Buchman in Area 4 and Catherine Slaughter in Area 5.
Elections Code Section 10515 states that in case when the number of qualified candidates is less than the number of the office to be filled, the office is not placed on the ballot unless a timely petition is filed with the request for holding an election. Otherwise, the qualified candidate is appointed in lieu of election and serves as elected.
According to the county’s list of qualified candidates for the upcoming election, Mr. Buchman and Ms. Slaughter are appointed in lieu of elections.
Trustee Area 1: Marilyn Rodger and Betty Winholtz
Marilyn Rodger – Incumbent
Ms. Rodger is the only incumbent in one of San Luis Coastal’s two races. As stated by the district, Ms. Rodger has been serving on the board for 2002 to present. Thus, as of 2026, Ms. Rodger has 24 years of service on the board. Ms. Rodger had served as board president and clerk and is now serving as a board member of Facilities and Surplus Properties Subcommittee and as a board liaison to the SEIU bargaining unit. The current term of Ms. Rodger expires in 2026.
The county’s certified list of candidates shows that the ballot designation of Marilyn Rodger is incumbent. According to the list, Ms. Rodger filed a candidate statement on July 21. Marilyn Rodger can be contacted at rodgerforschoolboard2026@gmail.com or, in her role as trustee, at mrodger@slcusd.org.
Betty Winholtz – Challenger
Betty Winholtz appears on the county’s list as Academic Support Tutor and is qualified for the Area 1 ballot because of submitting her candidate statement on August 5. At present, Ms. Winholtz is not a member of San Luis Coastal school board. Additionally, winholtz@sbcglobal.net is listed as Betty Winholtz’s public campaign contact.
No campaign website or biography of the 2026 candidate has been found in public sources reviewed for this article. Except for the filing on the registrar’s site, no campaign information has been found.
Trustee Area 2: Marisa Gomez and Michael Glavan
Area 2 is an open-seat race. The incumbent, Trustee Robert Banfield, serving from 2022, is not going to seek re-election for the Area 2 seat in November 2026.
Marisa Gomez – Candidate
According to the county’s list, the ballot designation of Marisa Gomez is Education Writer/Editor. In the campaign biography provided by the candidate, she introduces herself as a linguist and education writer, six-year resident of Los Osos, and mother of three children attending SLCUSD schools. She indicates her involvement with the Baywood Elementary dual-language immersion program, her position as Spanish literacy aide and a member of the district dual-language immersion task force, her four-year membership in the Baywood PTA communications committee, and participation in the Los Osos Middle School Site Council. This information comes from the candidate’s materials.
The priorities indicated by the candidate’s materials include teaching practices, providing opportunities for students to express and demonstrate their knowledge, involvement of families and educators in the decision-making of the district, and preparing students for adulthood within reduced district’s budget.
According to the county’s list, Marisa Gomez’s public campaign contacts are 805-776-3060 and marisagomezforschoolboard@gmail.com; additionally, there is a Marisa Gomez campaign website.
Michael Glavan – Candidate
Ballot designation of Michael Glavan according to the county’s list is Facilities Operations Manager. His campaign biography indicates that Michael Glavan is a Los Osos resident, parent of children attending Monarch Grove Elementary School, and member of PTA. He graduated from U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree and UCLA with master’s in business administration. Mr. Glavan also indicates 13 years of service in the U.S. Navy as a commissioned officer and helicopter naval aviator and then as a senior operations manager. This information is provided by the candidate.
According to the priorities indicated in the campaign materials, Michael Glavan emphasizes academics, campus safety, financial management, teacher recruitment and retention, involvement of parents, and career preparation.
Public contacts are 805-858-0861 and Michael@GlavanForSchools.com. Michael Glavan campaign website
District history and facilities
History of San Luis Coastal dates back more than six decades. According to the district’s financial records, the unified district was established in the mid-1960s. The district covers 267 square miles and serves a geographically diverse community of San Luis Obispo, coastal communities, and valleys.
The district operates ten elementary schools—Baywood, Bishop’s Peak, C.L. Smith, Del Mar, Hawthorne, Los Ranchos, Monarch Grove, Pacheco, Sinsheimer, and Teach, two middle schools—Laguna and Los Osos Middle Schools, two high schools—Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo High Schools, Pacific Beach High School, and an adult education program.
Facilities modernization has been one of the most prominent priorities of the district for a long time. In 2014, a facilities bond enabled upgrading Morro Bay High School and San Luis Obispo High School and financing of playgrounds, paving, lighting, and communication systems.
In November 2022, district voters approved Measure C-22 authorizing $349 million of bonds for facilities modernization of the elementary, middle schools, and Pacific Beach High School. The district’s projects include classroom and technology upgrades, roof replacements, HVAC replacement, accessibility work, and security enhancements. This facility program will be carried out far beyond the upcoming board term.
Staffing and district administration
According to California Department of Education LCAP staffing descriptions of the district for the latest cycle, there are 918 employees in the district including 493 certificated staff, 386 classified staff, and 39 managers. Since these figures refer to the 2025 planning cycle and the staffing reductions have taken place since then, it should be considered only as a reference point.
Superintendent Eric Prater has been leading the district since 2010. Assistant superintendent of Educational Services in the district is Lisa Yamashita while assistant superintendent of Business Services is Ryan Pinkerton who has been serving in this position since 2013.
Eric Prater announced in 2026 that he intends to retire in July 2027 and the process of superintendent succession has been started by the district, adding another task for the current and new board members.
Awards and recognitions during the current board term
During 2022-26, the district and individual schools received several recognitions.
Districtwide Summer Experience Program of San Luis Coastal has received a California School Boards Association Golden Bell Award in 2023. The program includes six weeks of classes, transportation, meals, and child care of elementary and middle school students paid with expanded-learning dollars.
Los Ranchos Elementary School received a designation of 2024 National Blue Ribbon School, which put it on the list of California campuses recognized nationally in 2024.
Among the middle schools, Laguna Middle School has been designated as a 2024 California School to Watch, while Los Osos Middle School has been redesignated through the same state program.
During 2025, Pacheco Elementary School and Monarch Grove Elementary School received the designation of California Distinguished Schools.
Food and Nutrition Services program of the district has received a Golden Bell Award in 2025 for its farm-to-school, local purchasing, and meal-service program. According to the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education, the amount of district meal service increased from approximately 509,700 meals annually before the pandemic to more than 1.28 million in recent school years (averaging more than 7,100 meals per day).
The following recent graduation numbers give another perspective on the district’s schools without comparison with older statewide data. San Luis Obispo High School issued 374 diplomas to the graduating Class of 2026. For Morro Bay High School, the latest available clear district graduation rate data for this review is the Class of 2025 when 162 graduates accounted for 98.7% of the senior class, receiving 187 scholarships worth more than $250,000.
Budget reductions become the greatest challenge for the district
The greatest challenge for the district entering the 2026 election is related to its budget. In December 2025, the board has approved more than $5 million in potential reduction for the 2026-27 budget. More than $4.1 million of these budget reductions would affect positions like teachers, aides, and counselors, while other cuts would affect the programs. The district says that this move was necessary in order to avoid falling into the reserves to a level when increased fiscal oversight was required.
According to the officials and reporters covering the county, several factors contribute to the financial challenge facing the district: expiration of one-time pandemic relief funding, changing enrollment and revenues, increasing personnel costs, and changes in property tax revenue due to Diablo Canyon. Within this situation, the next board will have to balance reductions and instructional programs, staffing, student services, and the facilities modernization program.
In addition to these fiscal challenges, the current board term saw several achievements: voter-approved modernization projects have been advanced, schools have received state and national recognitions, expanded learning and food service programs have been recognized statewide, and hundreds of students graduate from the district’s high schools. All these facts, together with the financial issues, will constitute the record to consider during the elections in Areas 1 and 2.
San Luis Obispo County plans to start mailing the ballots on Oct. 5, with ballot drop boxes opening Oct. 6. Deadline for online voter registration is Oct. 19, followed by conditional in-person registration. Election Day will be Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, and polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
