Santa Barbara County schools have immense potential, yet the school system and its all-but-useless administration continues to fail its residents and tragically, its schoolchildren. After nearly a decade under the current “leadership” (if one could call it that), why would anyone vote to keep the status quo?
Our county oversees 70,000 students across 20 districts and 10 charters, with a County Office budget of $85 million (expanding to $150 million including pass-throughs). Yet despite this substantial funding, academic outcomes remain pathetic, bureaucracy has ballooned and is out of control, and resources are misdirected toward administrative perks and padded payrolls rather than to classrooms.
Look At The Numbers
In Santa Maria-Bonita, English proficiency sits at just 25%, with math even lower—disproportionately harming majority-Hispanic families who rely on public schools for upward mobility.
In Santa Barbara Unified (61% low-income students), recent data shows English proficiency at around 52% and math at 41%, with glaring disparities (for example, 68% at La Colina Junior High vs. 33% at Santa Barbara Junior High).
Hispanic students in SBUSD achieve only 22% English proficiency. Post-pandemic recovery? Minimal—a mere 2% gain in English amid a decade-long enrollment drop of 2,000 students.
College and career readiness lags badly: 60% in SBUSD and just 41% in Santa Maria Joint Union High, with Santa Maria High near the national bottom.
Although graduation rates seem acceptable (92% in SBUSD, 90% at Santa Maria High), too many of those graduates leave school unprepared for college, career, or even life beyond high school.
Where is the money going? SBUSD’s $229 million budget equates to about $17,160 per pupil, yet only $77 million goes to teachers’ salaries;
$30 million funds administrative support,
$36 million covers benefits,
$18 million pays for “consultants.”
Indirect costs have risen 29%, siphoning over $2 million away from direct student needs. At the County Office (833 employees), top administrators earn up to $407,228 annually, while entry-level teachers start at $55,000–$60,000 (averaging $118,000 countywide). This top-heavy structure prioritizes bureaucratic expansion over academic results.
Add in neglected maintenance of buildings and grounds—schools crumbling while dollars flow to overhead—and costly scandals that drain millions: a $25 million settlement from the Justin Sell sexual abuse case in SBUSD (where warnings were ignored and implicated administrators were promoted), plus a 2024 lawsuit alleging negligence in Steven Schapansky‘s secret recordings of children over six years, implicating SBUSD, a charter, and county oversight. These failures erode trust and waste funds that could and should support teachers and students.
We’ve Had Enough.
Santa Barbara County deserves a superintendent who solves problems, not one who manages decline.
As a 20-year veteran public school teacher in our county classrooms, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and a dedicated mother, I’ve spent my career helping students unlock their strengths and overcome obstacles
As your County Superintendent, I’ll cut the fat: slash redundant administrative roles and indirect costs, redirect those savings directly to classrooms. We’ll raise entry-level teacher pay to $70,000+ with targeted bonuses for high-need schools (like Santa Barbara Junior High or Santa Maria elementaries), reduce class sizes, expand evidence-based tutoring, upgrade technology, and implement proven programs like the science of reading and early math interventions—aiming to push countywide proficiency above 60%.
Safety and well-being come first: stronger protections against abuse, expanded mental health services, clear smartphone limits, and transparent curricula that involve parents as true partners without division. We’ll prioritize building and grounds maintenance so students learn in safe, functional environments—not crumbling facilities.
My classroom experience—from coaching soccer at San Marcos High to inspiring students like Felix (who ran 100 miles as a first-grader) and Melody (who conquered a 5K through grit)—proves engagement works when leadership supports it. We’ll build on that with positive strategies, involved students, and strong family partnerships.
Santa Barbara County is unique. Our schools should be world-class—not stuck in mediocrity. After decades in education, I’m ready to deliver results, not more excuses. Our children’s futures depend on bold change.
I’m running for County Superintendent of Schools to end the excuses and deliver real results through transparency, accountability, and a laser focus on students and teachers.
Join me. Vote for fresh leadership that puts students and teachers first.
Learn more at www.ChristyLozano.com. Or reach out to me directly at Vote4christylozano@gmail.com or (805) 252-3785
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Elephant herd in the room: 1) illegal immigration; 2) birthright citizenship; 3) teacher unions; 4) voter ignorance/apathy.
Wish success to Christy Lazaro. Brave and courageous.
Christy...Glad you are doing this. Santa Barbara needs someone who understands the unintended consequences of bad policy.