Conejo Valley voters will choose between incumbent Mike Teasdale and challenger Debra McIntyre-Sciarrino for the Area 2 seat on the Ventura County Board of Education on Nov. 3.

The race is the only county-level education contest where both candidates live in the Conejo Valley. Area 2 covers Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Santa Rosa Valley and parts of Camarillo, according to Indivisible Ventura's voter guide. The position is nonpartisan, though both candidates are registered Democrats, the Ventura County Star reported.

The board of education shares oversight of the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) with the elected county superintendent of schools. Trustees serve four-year terms.

Teasdale: accountability after audit scandal

Teasdale, 74, is a retired business executive who has held the Area 2 seat since 2018. He wrote in a questionnaire published by the Star that his top priorities are supporting programs for youth leaving juvenile detention and strengthening accountability at the VCOE.

Teasdale said he co-led an effort in Sacramento to provide $80 million for life-skills programs for incarcerated youth. He also said he would push to implement recommendations from a forensic audit of the VCOE and work with lawmakers to change the California Education Code.

That audit, conducted by national accounting firm Weaver and presented to the board Thursday, Oct. 15, found the VCOE broke state law regarding employee pay and benefits dozens of times over five years. The board voted to refer possible legal violations to Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko.

"That shocked me, that it was discouraged to write things down, that they didn't want written proof," Teasdale said at the board's Thursday, Oct. 15, meeting, as reported by the Star.

Teasdale's campaign has raised $19,374, including a $16,250 personal loan, according to the Indivisible Ventura guide.

McIntyre-Sciarrino: 35 years in public education

McIntyre-Sciarrino, 64, is a public school educator who lists no prior political experience. She serves as principal of Chatsworth Charter High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District, according to the school's website. She previously worked as an assistant principal and dean of activities in the Conejo Valley Unified School District, the Indivisible Ventura guide states.

She holds master's degrees in curriculum and instruction from Pepperdine University and in counseling and guidance from California Lutheran University, according to the Star.

McIntyre-Sciarrino wrote in the Star's questionnaire that her top priority is ensuring student needs drive every board decision. She said she would advocate for fiscally sound spending and collaborative relationships with educators, families and community partners. She has lived in Ventura County for more than 30 years and raised her children in local public schools, she said in the questionnaire.

The Ventura County Democratic Party has endorsed McIntyre-Sciarrino, according to the party's endorsement list.

How to vote

Early voting and mail-in voting are underway. Ventura County vote centers open Saturday, Oct. 24. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.