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Pacifica School District recall, California (2025)
| Pacifica School District recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Kai Doggett Lynda Brocchini Laverne Villalobos |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in California California recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall four members of the Pacifica School District board of trustees in California began in April 2025. Elizabeth Bredall, Kai Doggett, Lynda Brocchini, and Laverne Villalobos were named in the notices of intent to recall.[1][2][3]
The recall effort started after the board voted in January 2025 to close the 6th through 8th grade programming at Ocean Shore and Vallemar schools and relocate those students to Sunset Ridge School and Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School. The board said the closures would help close budget deficits for the current school year as well as the following two school years. The Ocean Shore School Parent Teacher Organization filed a lawsuit in February 2025, alleging that the district violated five laws with the closures and relocations.[1]
Recall supporters
Recall supporters included the following reasons for recall on their GoFundMe page:[2]
| “ |
The Pacifica School District Board of Trustees has repeatedly failed our community and students by disregarding transparency, inclusiveness, and sound decision-making. Their rushed and flawed 'reconfiguration' process excluded meaningful parent input, ignored student well-being, and violated best practices and laws that safeguard public trust. Their decisions risk dismantling Ocean Shore School and Vallemar Schools’ unique K-8 model, despite substantial evidence of its academic and social-emotional benefits. The Board’s neglect of fiscal responsibility is alarming, as demonstrated by incomplete analyses of reconfiguration impacts, wasted public funds on recent campus improvements, and misleading financial projections. This recklessness jeopardizes educational equity and alienates the community. Further, the Board has marginalized parent voices, shutting down dissent, failing to address public records requests, and conducting critical decisions in closed sessions, potentially violating the Brown Act. Their behavior has fostered mistrust, driven families out of the district, and undermined our children’s emotional well-being. We need leaders who will act with integrity, transparency, and respect. The Pacifica School District Board of Trustees has failed to uphold these values, and their decisions continue to harm our students and community. It is time for accountability and leadership that truly serves the best interests of our children.[4] |
” |
Recall opponents
At a board meeting on March 18, 2025, Doggett said, “We need to do what is best for our kids, not what will drain our district of all of our money.”[1]
Superintendent Darnise Williams expressed empathy for those who disagreed with the program closures and relocations. “On one end we understand that something has to be done, on the other hand we understand that feeling of loss. Let’s keep the momentum in place and let’s look toward rebuilding,” Williams said.[1]
The district sent out an email to members of the school district community on March 13, 2025, saying that if the recall effort made the ballot, the school district would "be responsible for paying an estimated $343,000 to $811,000 in election costs, which would come from the general fund." A budget presentation to the board in March 2025 listed the general fund for the 2024-2025 school year at $5.8 million. “Should the recalls proceed, the District will need to make further budget adjustments that will directly impact student programs, personnel, and school resources. Regardless of who wins, our students will lose,” the district email said.[1]
Villalobos' response to the recall petition against her can be found in the box below. Scroll to read the full document.[5]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
No specific grounds are required for recall in California. The recall process starts with a notice of intention to recall. The notice must be served to the officer whose recall is being sought as well as published in a newspaper of general circulation. The notice must then be filed with the relevant election office. Once the notice has been deemed sufficient by the election office, a petition must also be filed and approved by the election office. Once the petition is approved, it can be circulated. To get a recall on the ballot, supporters must collect signatures from registered voters in the jurisdiction. The number of signatures required is between 10% and 30% of registered voters in the jurisdiction, depending on the size of the jurisdiction. Jurisdictions with 1,000 registered voters or fewer require 30%, and jurisdictions with 100,000 or more registered voters require 10%. Charter cities can also set their own signature threshold. The amount of time allowed for the circulation of recall petitions also varies by the number of registered voters in a jurisdiction, between 40 and 160 days. Jurisdictions with fewer than 1,000 registered voters allow 40 days, and jurisdictions with more than 50,000 registered voters allow 160 days.[6]
To get the recalls against Villalobos and Bredall on the ballot, supporters must collect 5,197 signatures per board member by October 16, 2025.[7] To get the recalls against Doggett and Brocchini on the ballot, supporters must collect 5,197 signatures per board member by November 7, 2025.[8]
2025 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia has tracked 21 school board recall efforts against 39 board members in 2025. Recall elections against three board members were approved by voters on April 22, 2025, and June 10, 2025, removing all three from office. Recall elections are also being held on November 4, 2025.
The chart below details the status of 2025 recall efforts by individual school board member.
Recall context
- See also: Ballotpedia's Recall Report
Ballotpedia covers recall efforts across the country for all state and local elected offices. A recall effort is considered official if the petitioning party has filed an official form, such as a notice of intent to recall, with the relevant election agency.
The chart below shows how many officials were included in recall efforts from 2012 to 2024 as well as how many of them defeated recall elections to stay in office and how many were removed from office in recall elections.
See also
- Ballotpedia's Recall Report
- Pacifica School District, California
- Pacifica School District, California, elections
- Recall campaigns in California
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- School board recalls
- States that allow school board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Coastside News, "Parents file lawsuit against Pacifica School District," March 19, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 GoFundMe, "Recall PSD Board," accessed March 31, 2025
- ↑ San Mateo County Elections, "Information on Recalls of Elected Officials: Current Recall Efforts and Information," accessed M ay 6, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ San Mateo County Elections, "Answer to Notice of Intention Filed: March 4, 2025," accessed May 6, 2025
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Recall Procedures Guide 2023," accessed October 16, 2023
- ↑ San Mateo Elections, "Information on Recalls of Elected Officials," accessed June 24, 2025
- ↑ San Mateo Elections, "Information on Recalls of Elected Officials," accessed July 29, 2025
