Your guide to the Sacramento County Board of Education races
Six candidates are vying for two open seats on the Sacramento County Board of Education.
Newcomer Annie Fischer will face incumbent Paul Keefer for the District 3 seat, while hopefuls Dominique Donette, Ralph Merletti, Anna Molander Hermann and Davon Thomas compete to represent District 1, where longtime trustee Bina Lefkovitz is not running for reelection.
Unlike most other races on the ballot, the June 2 election is not a primary and will determine who holds the board seats through June 2030.
Incumbent Mariana Corona Sabeniano will be reelected to the District 2 seat without appearing on the ballot as no one opted to challenge her.
Besides Keefer, none of the candidates seeking spots on the board have held public office before, as is often the case for school board candidates.
The board oversees the Sacramento County Office of Education, which provides services and oversight to the 13 public school districts, including the Los Rios Community College District, affecting 255,000 students. SCOE also directly operates schools, most of which offer alternative programming for high needs students and kids who are going through the juvenile detention system.
The board is also responsible for authorizing charter schools. The county currently oversees three, but will soon be considering whether to adopt Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools, which was found in 2025 to have improperly received $180 million in public funds, into their system after its charter was revoked by Twin Rivers Unified School District.
Another top responsibility for the board in the coming year is to facilitate the search for a new superintendent. County Superintendent of Schools Dave Gordon, who has served in the position for more than two decades, plans to retire.
Where is Sacramento County Board of Education District 1?
District 1 covers central Sacramento, including downtown, midtown, East Sacramento, Land Park, Oak Park and Curtis Park. School districts represented in the area include a major portion of Sacramento City Unified and small portions of Elk Grove Unified and Twin Rivers Unified.
Who are the candidates in the District 1 race?
Dominique Donette is a Sacramento-born educator and longtime community organizer whose work has focused on literacy and improving outcomes for students from low-income communities. A former foster youth and child of incarcerated parents, she said her own reliance on public schools and libraries drove her commitment to strengthening public education. If elected, she seeks to support struggling students, especially those in court and community schools, and ensure county resources are used strategically to improve student outcomes.
Ralph Merletti is a retired engineer and parking lot attendant. He has run unsuccessfully for Los Rios Community College District board, Sacramento City Unified board and state Assembly in the past 12 years. He did not respond to The Sacramento Bee’s request for an interview.
Anna Molander Hermann is an attorney and mother of three children in Sacramento public schools running for the county board after two decades in educational advocacy. She said she is motivated by deep frustration with dysfunction in local school systems and wants to refocus decision-making on what best serves students and their families. Molander Hermann wants to expand career and technical pathways for students and wants to see the county become more of a partner to districts, offering effective oversight and programming.
Davon Thomas is a lifelong Oak Park resident and a graduate of St. Hope Public Schools. He is the youngest candidate and the only man of color in the race, a population he pointed out is one of the largest demographics served by SCOE schools. He seeks to improve outcomes for foster and incarcerated youth and to improve fiscal accountability, transparency and oversight over local charters.
Who’s funding this race?
Donette has raised around $19,000, all from donations that do not exceed $1,000.
Merletti has not reported any fundraising.
Molander Hermann has raised around $20,000, most of which comes from attorneys, and $1,000 from a local firefighter PAC.
Thomas has raised $18,000, with around $6,000 from the Sacramento City Teachers Association.
Where is Sacramento County Board of Education District 3?
District 3 covers Arden Arcade, McClellan Park, North Highlands and portions of Carmichael. School districts represented in the area include portions of Sacramento City Unified, San Juan Unified and Twin Rivers Unified.
Who are the candidates in the District 3 race?
Paul Keefer has held the District 3 seat since 2018. Keefer’s day job as a school administrator with the Pacific Charter Institute has been the source of controversy — in 2024 Sacramento County resident Mara Harvey, backed by the California Teachers Association and the blessing of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, sued to challenge his right to hold public office while leading a charter school organization.
A judge tentatively ruled that his positions do not constitute a conflict of interest in 2026. Only two of the charter schools under PCI operate in Sacramento County and neither are authorized through SCOE.
Keefer said that he has been on the front lines of increasing student achievement and safety. He cites his institutional knowledge as invaluable to the board, especially as it searches for a new superintendent.
Annie Fischer is a state worker and community activist seeking office for the first time because she saw an “imbalance” in current leadership. She voiced concerns surrounding Highlands and the county’s role in aiding Sacramento City Unified through its budget crisis. She has received support from several local Democratic organizations and from local teachers unions.
Who’s funding this race?
Keefer has raised $15,000 this year, $5,000 of which comes from the Charter School Association Advocate PAC.
Fischer has raised about $11,000 so far, including $5,600 from the Sacramento City Teachers Association.
