Facing its first by-trustee-area election, with three seats up for grabs in a wide-open race, the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District could have a nearly new school board this fall.
Voters in Trustee Areas 2, 3 and 5 will each elect one representative in the Nov. 3 general election, shifting the district from citywide voting to localized geographic zones. The candidate filing window remains open through Friday for the three open seats.
The new boundary shift has the potential to trigger a major turnover of veteran leadership on the board. Trustee Craig Bueno cannot run because his home sits in what is now Area 4, which is not up for election until 2028. Meanwhile, it is unclear if current board president Steven Drouin, who resides in Area 2, or trustee Emily Prusso, from Area 5, will seek reelection.
As of late last week, according to the Alameda County Registrar’s Office, no one has pulled papers for Area 2. Newcomers Angela Brady and Katherine Runyon have filed their intent to run for Area 3, while in Area 5, incumbents Deena Kaplanis and Christiaan VandenHeuvel have registered their candidacy.
All candidates must reside within the boundaries of the areas they want to represent.
The fresh map divides the school district into five geographic zones. Trustee Area 1 covers northwestern Livermore and Trustee Area 4 encompasses the southwestern part of the city. Both areas are not scheduled for elections until 2028. Trustee Area 2 is in the central core of the city, Trustee Area 3 is in the northeastern section of the city, and Trustee Area 5 is in southeastern Livermore.
The new boundaries also create an uncertain landscape for candidates. Trustee Area 2 faces an unconfirmed race as the Friday deadline approaches, while Trustee Area 3 has no incumbent resident.
Incumbents face each other in Area 5
The most complex dynamic, however, rests in Trustee Area 5, which folds three current board members — Prusso, Kaplanis and VandenHeuvel — into a single district, a consolidation that could significantly reshape the board’s makeup. VandenHeuvel and Kaplanis have just two years left in their terms on the board.
In a statement on his campaign website, VandenHeuvel said that if reelected, he will continue to advocate for the students and community, while interfacing and supporting new Superintendent Anthony Limoges, who took office July 1.
Limoges, the former associate superintendent of human resources for the Rocklin Unified School District, replaced former Superintendent Torie Gibson. Gibson resigned in February after just 18 months on the job following community backlash over proposed school closures and a 90% no-confidence vote from the teachers’ union over alleged budget mismanagement.
“During these two years I’ve sat with dozens of community members and heard from hundreds more by phone and email,” VandenHeuvel said. “My job wasn’t to agree with everyone. It was to make sure everyone felt heard before a decision was made … If reelected, one of my top priorities for the next term is onboarding and evaluating our new superintendent well.”
Aside from changing its makeup, the incoming board will also face hefty financial challenges, confronting an approximate $14.8 million budget shortfall for the 2026-27 school year. They will manage this alongside Limoges, who said he is confident the incoming board will make the right decisions.
“The transition to by-trustee area elections reflects our commitment to the California Voting Rights Act, joining many school districts across the state that have made this same transition,” Limoges said. “I have every confidence that the Livermore community will elect trustees committed to serving our students and supporting our schools.”
Candidate documents are available from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. An interactive trustee area map can be viewed on the LVJUSD website.
For additional information or questions, email Lori Rice or phone 925-606-3281.