Valerie Amparan Is the Right Steward for S.B. Schools

With Santa Barbara Unified's school board contest drawing renewed attention this fall, a community voice is adding her name to the chorus around candidate Valerie Amparan. In a letter to the editor published by the Santa Barbara Independent on October 24, 2026, local photographer Monie de Wit made an impassioned case that Amparan is "precisely the leader we need to guide us forward."

Why the Endorsement Matters

Letters to the editor don't set policy, but they offer a window into what voters are talking about — and in this race, the conversation is pointed. De Wit writes that she has attended "numerous" Santa Barbara Unified School District candidate debates, giving her what she describes as a front-row seat to the district's challenges and to how the candidates carry themselves under pressure.

Her verdict: Amparan pairs financial expertise with genuine compassion, a combination De Wit argues the district needs as it navigates a difficult stretch.

The Issues Driving the Race

De Wit's letter catalogs the pressures bearing down on the district, a list that will feel familiar to anyone following Santa Barbara schools. She cites declining enrollment, which strains district budgets because state funding in California is largely tied to student headcounts. She also points to urgent facility needs and the effort to save Santa Barbara Community Academy, a school whose future has been a flashpoint for parents and neighborhood advocates.

Her letter also raises two equity concerns: students with dyslexia whose needs, in her words, still go unmentioned by the district, and what she calls "the painful anti-Black racism that has harmed our students for far too long." Both issues have surfaced repeatedly in community forums, and De Wit's letter signals they remain live concerns for a segment of the electorate heading into the vote.

On the question of how to reach struggling students, the letter highlights Amparan's support for the science of reading — an instructional approach emphasizing phonics and structured literacy that has gained traction nationally — as well as transparent reporting on Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) funding, the state mechanism that ties district spending to student-outcome goals.

Character as a Campaign Theme

Beyond policy positions, De Wit's endorsement leans heavily on personal character. She recounts a moment from a debate in which Amparan acknowledged she will make mistakes if elected, but promised to listen intently, learn, and remain accessible — a candidness De Wit frames as rare and reassuring in a candidate.

"Lasting change requires working together under a leader who stands up against injustice and treats everyone with genuine warmth," De Wit writes. "Valerie has both. I am deeply grateful she is running."

The letter also emphasizes the arts as an engagement tool, arguing that arts programs give vulnerable students "a vital reason to stay engaged and thrive" — a nod to ongoing community debates about preserving enrichment programs amid tight budgets.

The Bigger Picture for Santa Barbara Unified

The stakes in this board race are real for families across the district. Santa Barbara Unified serves the city's public school students, and its board makes decisions on everything from school closures and consolidations to budget priorities, literacy instruction, and campus climate policies. With declining enrollment squeezing revenues statewide — and districts across California grappling with post-pandemic attendance dips — the fiscal acumen De Witt credits to Amparan is the kind of qualification voters tend to weigh heavily.

The mention of Santa Barbara Community Academy reflects a broader tension playing out in districts up and down the Central Coast: how to right-size a school system built for a larger student population without gutting beloved neighborhood schools. Board members will likely face those decisions directly in the coming term.

The equity dimensions of the race are equally consequential. Advocates for students with dyslexia have pushed districts to adopt structured-literacy screening and intervention, while families and community groups have pressed Santa Barbara Unified to address documented incidents of anti-Black racism in its schools. Whichever candidates win seats will inherit both agendas.

What Comes Next

The letter arrives in the closing stretch of the campaign season, when endorsements and community testimonials often help sway undecided voters in down-ballot races that typically see lower turnout than marquee contests. Residents who want to hear from the candidates directly can attend upcoming candidate forums or review Santa Barbara Unified board materials, including LCAP documents, through the district's website.

For De Wit, the choice is straightforward. As someone who has documented community life in Santa Barbara through her camera lens and sat through the debates in person, she concludes that Amparan offers the blend of "the financial expertise to steady our budgets and the compassionate heart to uplift those who need it most."

Voters will render their own verdict at the ballot box. In the meantime, letters like De Wit's — published by the Independent — sketch the fault lines of the race: budgets, school closures, literacy, and racial equity, all under the stewardship of whoever next takes a seat on the dais.