Eight candidates are running for school board seats that shape classrooms across Encinitas, and all five positions will be filled by someone new.

All three San Dieguito Union High School District incumbents, including board President Jane Lea Smith, Trustee Phan Anderson and Vice President Rimga Viskanta, are not seeking reelection, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Two Encinitas Union School District trustee seats are also on the Nov. 3 ballot, with four candidates competing.

SDUHSD Area 1 (Encinitas)

David Miyashiro, 55, is superintendent of Cajon Valley Union School District in East County, where he has served since 2013. He holds a UCLA doctorate in educational leadership and previously served as assistant superintendent for EUSD. He listed aging infrastructure, budget volatility and workforce readiness as his top issues in a Union-Tribune Q&A. His candidacy drew attention after the San Dieguito Faculty Association alleged a campaign flyer from his office used AI-generated imagery to depict opponent Amy Flicker, as Fox 5 San Diego reported. The flyer carried a small-print AI disclosure. Fox 5 reported it did not receive a response from Miyashiro's office.

Amy Flicker, 56, is a human resources executive and vice president of legislation for the Ninth District California State PTA. She has served as an Encinitas planning commissioner and on the executive board of the North Coastal Consortium for Special Education (NCCSE). She named fiscal solvency, AI integration and student-centered education as her priorities.

SDUHSD Area 3 (Solana Beach, Del Mar, Cardiff, Rancho Santa Fe)

Summer Boger, 47, is a wellness practitioner who has worked as a part-time special education instructional assistant across SDUHSD campuses since March 2026. She spent more than 25 years as a small-business owner. She said the district must address uneven math outcomes and projected budget deficits.

Helen Doyle, 42, is a former mechanical engineer and stay-at-home parent of three. She serves as a director on the Del Mar Union Schools Education Foundation and became a court-appointed special advocate for foster children in 2010. She identified facilities infrastructure, the achievement gap and student mental health as top concerns.

SDUHSD Area 5 (Carmel Valley, Pacific Highlands Ranch)

Ginny Merrifield owns a surveillance-video business and co-founded Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad. She chairs the board of e3 Civic High, a public charter school. She pointed to math proficiency dropping from 76% in seventh grade to 50% by 11th grade and called for a districtwide AI strategy. SDUHSD approved a $3.2 million operating deficit for 2026-27, she said.

Justin Moodie, 43, is a public school teacher at Oceanside High School who grew up in Carmel Valley and graduated from Torrey Pines High School. He previously taught at Canyon Crest Academy and Carmel Valley Middle School. He listed career readiness, student well-being and board stability as priorities, noting the district has "cycled through superintendents and board conflict."

EUSD trustee (two seats, at-large)

Jillian Cocayne, 45, is a patent licensing executive and member of the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee for Measure Z, the $158 million bond approved in 2024 for school upgrades including a full rebuild of Paul Ecke Central Elementary. She said the bond has already seen delays and change orders.

Bill Shen, 49, owns a small advising firm and chaired the Measure Z campaign. He called for a districtwide technology audit, saying EUSD has provided one-to-one devices since 2013 but "has never published a serious evaluation of what that did for learning."

Christina Hargrave, 74, is a teacher and former principal with five grandchildren in EUSD schools. She said the district needs a clear technology-use policy and must close achievement gaps for English learners and students with disabilities.

Marika Dixon, 44, is an EUSD instructional assistant and parent of two district students. She wants to restore traditional A-F grading, saying the current system of three performance levels gives families less clarity.

Ballots are due Nov. 3. The San Diego County Registrar of Voters' candidate list has the full roster of local races.