Unofficial results posted by the Orange County Registrar of Voters at 1:36 a.m. on November 4 show the two incumbents leading in the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) board races: Katie McEwen has 73.53% of the vote in Trustee Area 2, and Jeff Kim has 59.04% in Trustee Area 4. About 247,000 ballots remain to be processed countywide, so the outcome is not settled until the county finishes counting.
IUSD Board Election: What Happened
Two IUSD board seats were on the ballot in the 2026 general election on November 3. According to the district website, the current terms for both seats end in December 2026. Jeff Kim of Trustee Area 4 joined the board in November 2022 and is serving as board president for 2026; Katie McEwen of Trustee Area 2 was also elected in November 2022. Both are in their first terms. On October 8, the district publicized an impartial, nonpartisan PTA forum featuring all four candidates.
The Registrar labels these results “Unofficial Election Results.” As of the update above, the counts were:
| Seat | Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trustee Area 2 | Katie McEwen (incumbent) | 6,898 | 73.53% |
| Trustee Area 2 | Ron Scolesdang | 2,483 | 26.47% |
| Trustee Area 4 | Jeff Kim (incumbent) | 4,920 | 59.04% |
| Trustee Area 4 | Jane Wood | 3,414 | 40.96% |
Based on these figures, the Trustee Area 2 lead is 4,415 votes and the Trustee Area 4 lead is 1,506 votes.
What the IUSD Election Count Means for Irvine Families
The early count is not the final result. At the same update, the Registrar reported 798,479 ballots counted out of 1,916,510 registered voters, a turnout of 41.7%, with all 2,377 precincts reporting initial results. The Registrar also estimated 246,570 ballots left to process, including about 124,200 vote-by-mail ballots returned at Vote Centers, about 84,500 from drop boxes, about 29,600 vote-by-mail ballots received by mail on or before Election Day, and about 7,500 Conditional Voter Registration and provisional ballots. The Registrar notes that this estimate will grow as eligible ballots mailed on or before Election Day arrive.
The 1,506-vote margin in Trustee Area 4 may therefore change as counting continues. Families should rely on the Registrar’s updated figures.
What the IUSD Board of Education Decides for Students
The IUSD Board of Education has five members, each elected by the voters of a geographic trustee area to a four-year term. Once seated, the board operates as a unified body representing all Irvine communities rather than only its own areas. The district moved to by-trustee-area elections by a board vote in 2018, and the district website states that trustee areas have no effect on school attendance boundaries.
The district lists these board duties, among others:
- Adopting the annual budget and approving expenditures
- Employing personnel
- Approving the curriculum, textbooks and courses of study
- Approving facility plans and construction contracts
The board can take action only in a formal session with a majority of its members present. Each high school also selects student representatives for a Student Advisory Board, and five student members at a time take part in board meetings.
The other three board members have terms running to December 2028: Lauren Brooks of Trustee Area 1 (board clerk for 2026), Cyril Yu of Trustee Area 3 and Connie Stone of Trustee Area 5.
Upcoming IUSD Board of Education Meetings
The board typically meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the District Administration Center, 5050 Barranca Parkway, Irvine. Meetings are live streamed and broadcast on Cox Channel 39. The two remaining regular meetings in 2026 are:
| Date | Meeting |
|---|---|
| November 10 | Regular meeting |
| December 15 | Organizational and regular meeting |
EDUBUS Recommendations on Following the IUSD Board
Rely on the Registrar for results. The Registrar’s results page will continue to update as the remaining ballots are processed, and the Trustee Area 4 margin in particular depends on later counts.
Watch agenda items on courses. The board approves curriculum and courses of study, so new or revised courses in the course catalog pass through this step. Families can review each meeting’s agenda and video on the district website to see which changes may affect course selection for the next school year.
Course decisions still happen at each school. The board sets district-wide policy, while the honors and AP courses each high school offers and how it calculates GPA appear in each school’s course catalog and School Profile; see Irvine 2026-27 School Profiles: Five Things to Read.
Families who want to turn district policy into specific course and college plans can start with the EDUBUS Irvine high school guide.
Sources
- Orange County Registrar of Voters: 2026 General Election Results (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Orange County Registrar of Voters: Total Ballots Left to Process (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Orange County Registrar of Voters: Current Election Results (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Irvine Unified School District: Board of Education (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Irvine Unified School District: Meet The Board of Education (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Irvine Unified School District: Board of Education Trustee Area Information (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Irvine Unified School District: Board Meeting Calendar (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Irvine Unified School District: News (accessed November 4, 2026)
- The Claremont Colleges: Applying to Each of the 5CsPomona College will become the parent of Claremont Graduate University. What Irvine families should know about the five Claremont colleges and cross-registration.
- IVC Spring Dual Enrollment Opens Nov 24 for IUSDIrvine Valley College opens spring 2027 registration for high school students on November 24. Here are IUSD dual enrollment routes, steps, fees, and UC GPA rules.
- CAASPP Results Go Public Oct 15 with New Level NamesCalifornia's 2025-26 CAASPP school results go public October 15 under new achievement level names. How the labels map, how to read reports, and how to compare schools.
- How to Read a Common Data Set: The UC Irvine ExampleUC Irvine has posted its 2025-26 Common Data Set. This guide uses it to show Irvine families which sections answer questions about admission odds, graduation, and aid.
