Orange County has nearly a half-million students in its public education system across 28 school districts. Those districts, like many across the state, have been struggling with budgets amid declining student enrollment. The Orange County superintendent of schools is the chief executive of the county’s Department of Education, which provides support to districts, as well as fiscal oversight.
“They review and approve district budgets, so they’re kind of that final checkpoint for fiscal solvency,” said Kindra Britt, director of communications at California County Superintendents.
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County superintendents (there are 58 for the 58 counties across the state) also serve as intermediaries between the state and local school districts.
“If you think about implementing new policies or initiatives — California’s so huge, it’s easier to go through 58 versus 1,000 districts,” Britt said.
Under the leadership of the superintendent, the Orange County Department of Education also serves students directly, including those who have been expelled, are in the foster care system or are incarcerated through the alternative ACCESS program, which has 30 sites across the county. The department also runs Connections, which serves school-age students and early learners with disabilities.
California is a local-control state when it comes to education, meaning a lot of decisions about students’ day-to-day lives fall upon local school district boards, not county departments of education. The county office provides support to districts but doesn’t directly govern them, according to the California County Superintendents.
Local school district boards hire their superintendents, set district policies and have say over curriculum.
When information is missing
Some candidates did not reply to our requests for images. Some did not have a campaign website and/or list of endorsements available online at the time of publication. We will update this guide as more candidate information becomes available.
Bean, a former charter school president, is running unopposed.
Jeff Cole, a former Anaheim educator, had filed to run against Bean but was removed from the ballot last month after a court order, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters. The petition to remove Cole, saying he lacked a credential required for office, was filed by Mark Bucher, board director of the California Policy Center, which advocates for charter schools.
There will be an option for a write-in candidate on the ballot, but write-in candidates must be qualified by the county registrar of voters and file papers by May 19.
Stefan Bean
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Courtesy Stefan Bean
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Bean has been a teacher, principal and administrator for 28 years. Before being appointed to the county superintendent role, he led the Irvine International Academy and Aspire Public Schools, a network of charter schools in the state. He’s endorsed by the Republican Party of Orange County. He’s a proponent of school choice and says “parents should never be mandated to do anything that goes against their own values.”
He said he was born in Vietnam, came to the U.S. through Operation Babylift and was adopted. He is also a polio survivor.
“As a former English learner and student with a disability, I am deeply committed to supporting vulnerable students,” Bean said.
He said his top priority “continues to be improving outcomes for our most vulnerable students.” He said the Orange County Department of Education’s strategic plan is focused on increasing attendance, expanding career pathways and “student well-being.”
As for fiscal oversight of districts, he said he will identify districts at risk through early warning signs.
“My approach is proactive and supportive,” he said. “Accountability means transparency and timely action. I will ensure concerns are clearly communicated, progress is monitored, and districts have the guidance needed to restore fiscal stability while protecting classroom instruction and student services.”
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Go deeper:
To see the full list of donors to each campaign, visit the Orange County registrar’s campaign finance public portal. From there, search any candidate’s name and see all their campaign finance disclosure documents, including contributors to campaigns and independent expenditure committees.
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