Board elects Jocelyn Vargas president in 5–2 vote after heated debate over outside campaign spending and union ties

The Coachella Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees elected Jocelyn Vargas as board president and appointed Valerie Garcia as clerk during the board’s organization item. The motion to present a slate naming Jocelyn Vargas for president and Valerie Garcia for clerk was put forward during the meeting and carried by a 5–2 vote.

The discussion that preceded the vote was lengthy and at times contentious. Several trustees expressed concern about outside money spent in the recent election cycle and about public attacks they said were being made by union leaders. Other trustees and Garcia defended her qualifications and said legal counsel had determined there was no conflict of interest in her serving on the board while employed by a union-affiliated organization. Garcia said she is not a spokesperson for her employer and that her vote and work on the board would be governed by legal guidance.

The board also appointed the superintendent to serve as the board’s secretary, a routine administrative step that the board approved by unanimous voice vote.

Trustees and candidates exchanged sharp rhetoric in public remarks. One trustee framed the slate as an attempt to “leave those politics out of this boardroom” and urged colleagues to focus on policy; other trustees said they could not support a particular nominee because of alleged outside campaign activity and ongoing personal attacks. After debate, the chair called the question and the slate passed 5–2.

The result reconfigured the board’s leadership for the 2025 governing year. Board officers will be expected to help manage internal relations while the board continues work on budget stabilization, a fiscal review from an external agency and other district priorities.