In a race for three open seats, incumbents Alexia Palacios-Peters and Mal Sandie, and Peggy Duncan lead the Coronado school board race in early election results, followed by Kaye Schneider.
The first posting of unofficial results show Palacios-Peters has 30.3% of votes, Sandie has 25.2% of votes, Peggy Duncan has 25.1% of votes and Kaye Schneider has 19.3% of votes.
“I’m so pleased and proud that people trust me to hopefully continue another four years and I’m optimistic that when all the votes are tallied that I’ll still be able to serve another four years,” said Palacios-Peters after the first results were released on election night. “To come in as number one right now is a complete surprise and overwhelming. And I’m just so grateful to this Coronado community, and their support of me.”
“I’m very happy,” said Sandie. “If I’m on the board again and Alexia is there, I think we can continue to do great things. We can continue to support the superintendent, the staff and the teachers and make some serious progress.”
“There’s still a lot of votes to be counted,” said Duncan. “But I believe I’ve received enough votes to be elected.”
Regarding election night results, Schneider said she could not comment.
Palacios-Peters, Sandie, Duncan and Schneider are vying for three open seats on the CUSD board of trustees in the 2026 midterm election. Voting in the election came to a close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.
According to the Registrar of Voters, there are 2,035,907 total registered voters countywide. Coronado makes up 11,033 voters including 4,048 Republicans and 3,474 Democrats.
Shortly after polls closed, the San Diego County Registrar of Voters released the first unofficial results posting, which include ballots returned by mail and at official ballot drop boxes before Election Day as well as ballots from early voting at the Registrar’s office and vote centers between Oct. 24 and Nov. 2.
The Registrar projects 540,000 outstanding ballots and said all results are unofficial until the completion of the official canvass on or before Dec. 3.
The next unofficial results update will be posted by 6 p.m. on Nov. 5, Nov. 6 and Nov. 9.
Candidate profiles
Palacios-Peters, 46, is a practicing attorney and incumbent who was first elected in 2022. She reports her committee “Alexia Palacios-Peters for School Board 2026” made $7,162.87 in total expenditures.
Palacios-Peters previously told The Coronado News she is seeking re-election to support the district’s transition to basic aid. She also hopes to address technology use in the classroom, monitor support for military families and continue a collaborative governing body.
In the last four years, Palacios-Peters served as the board president, clerk of the board and contributed to district committees such as the 4×4 committee and the Portrait of a Graduate, the district’s strategic vision for supporting students.
On election night, Palacios-Peters said she spent the last four years trying to be a trustee who represents everybody. Now she looks to a transparent process of building reserves under a new Basic Aid funding system.
“I’m here to do a job and that’s to help run the district as best I can in supporting our students and our teachers and our staff and making sure that here on Coronado, our public schools are there for every student,” said Palacios-Peters.
Sandie, 58, is a retired Navy captain and an incumbent who was first elected four years ago. He was the only candidate who did not raise or spend $2,000 or over, according to filings maintained by the Registrar.
He has served as vice president and clerk of the board, in addition to being assigned to district committees, such as one focused on keeping students safe online.
In July he told The Coronado News his plans for re-election include supporting students, teachers and the superintendent across future decisions. He has also advocated for getting personal electronics out of Coronado schools.
On election night, Sandie echoed plans to continue the district’s transition to Basic Aid.
He also reiterated issues impacting Coronado schools included climate change, personal electronics, mental health, and vilification of science, economic downturn, gun violence, book banning, and white Christian nationalism.
“I said what I believe, I said what I plan to do and I said what my concerns are and I guess it sounds like people agreed,” said Sandie.
Peggy Duncan, 54, is an attorney and president of the Coronado nonprofit, Friends of Children United Society (FOCUS). She is married to Coronado Mayor John Duncan. In campaign finances as of Oct. 17, she reports her committee received $24,747 in total contributions and made $19,781 in total expenditures.
Duncan previously told The Coronado News her priorities for Coronado schools include safety, mental health and wellbeing, and academic excellence.
On election night, Duncan said she is excited to serve the community.
“I look forward to making the voters proud of supporting me with hard work and dedication to our kids and parents,” she said.
Kaye Schneider, is the owner of Lydia Company and founder of Vital Connections. In October she reported spending over $4,000 on her committee “Schneider for CUSD Board Member 2026.”
This is Schneider’s first run for office. She previously told The Coronado News she looks to prioritize kids’ wellness, instill a love for learning, and bridge communication gaps between parents and administrators.
“When asked about the results, with less than 34% tallied, I said I didn’t have a comment yet,” said Schneider. “However, what I will say is that the kindness, generosity of so many strangers, and the support of the many people who walked and ran this race alongside me, has made this an excellent experience. Regardless of the final outcome. I learned a lot. I heard from many. I will see what comes next for me. I am grateful for the opportunity.”
For more information, visit: sdvote.com.
