Board appoints Brian Robinson to fill Trustee Area 1 vacancy

The Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District Board of Trustees provisionally appointed Brian Robinson to the Trustee Area 1 vacancy at its Feb. 10, 2026, regular meeting after interviewing two candidates and hearing public comment.

President Johnson opened the agenda item by summarizing the legal process under the California Education Code for filling a vacancy and the board’s 60-day window to make a provisional appointment. After public comment and candidate interviews, President Johnson nominated Brian Robinson; a second was received and the clerk conducted a roll-call vote. The chair announced, “Bridal Robinson, will be our new 1st district trustee.” Brian Robinson then took the oath of office and was sworn in.

Trustees praised both applicants during discussion, noting Robinson’s experience with bond measures and Alex Jones’s technology background. One trustee explicitly registered a dissenting vote: Miss Grace Velasquez said, “Oh, I'm a say nay, just the technology.” The transcript indicates the nomination carried and Robinson was seated immediately. The board then opened the floor for public comment on closed‑session items (none was offered) and recessed to closed session at 6:06 p.m.

The appointment is a provisional fill of the seat vacated by Susan Shehab, and, as the board explained under the Education Code, it will remain in effect until the seat is filled at the next regular district election in November 2026 unless a petition forces a special election. The board noted the potential cost of a special election at about $100,000, per the chair’s reading of the statute.