One of two contested seats on the Cabrillo Unified School District board, which runs the Coastside's public schools from Half Moon Bay to Montara, is Trustee Area C. San Mateo County's certified roster lists two names: Lizet Cortes-Ronquillo (Incumbent) and Peter Tokofsky (Teacher/Dad/Journalist).

The candidates

  • Lizet Cortes-Ronquillo is the board's president and has served eight years as a trustee. In a Coastside News questionnaire she described herself as the daughter of immigrant farmworkers, said she has spent about 20 years working in the county's juvenile justice system, and said she is the first and only Latino member of the board. She previously led the district's English Learner Advisory Committee.
  • Peter Tokofsky has taught at UCLA and UC Berkeley, teaches at Stanford, substitute-taught in Cabrillo schools in 2021-22 and has lived on the Coastside since 2019, according to Coastside News. He is a former editor of that paper.

Where they split

Trustee pay is the sharpest dividing line. Cortes-Ronquillo told Coastside News she supports the $1,200-a-month stipend the board adopted under a new state law. Tokofsky criticized the March vote raising trustee compensation while teachers did not get a raise, and said he would donate most of his compensation. Tokofsky also pointed to state test results showing fewer than half of district students meeting standards. Cortes-Ronquillo said she supports building employee housing and paying stipends to bilingual staff.

Endorsements

The Cabrillo Unified Teachers Association endorsed Tokofsky over the incumbent, Coastside News reported. The union also backed challenger Andrea Rosenthal in Area E. Voters in the district also decide the Measure Z parcel tax.

More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.