Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Daniel Dodge Jr. is seeking a third term on the school board, facing a challenge from a recent district graduate who says the board needs a stronger connection to the students and employees affected by its decisions.
Dodge, a lifelong Watsonville resident who has represented Trustee Area 4 since 2018, will face 18-year-old Eriberto Estrada in the Nov. 3 election.
Trustee Area 4 covers Southwestern Watsonville and some outlying areas.
The race offers voters a sharp contrast in experience. Dodge points to eight years on the board and a record he says shows support for employees, school safety and working families.
Estrada graduated from Pajaro Valley High School in June, and says that lack of governing experience is offset by something the incumbent cannot offer: the viewpoint of someone who was a PVUSD student just months ago.
“What I lack in experience, I definitely have in perspective,” Estrada said.
Estrada first became interested in the school board as a sophomore, when he began attending meetings to learn how district decisions affected students. In March, while still a 17-year-old senior at Pajaro Valley High, he announced during public comment that he intended to challenge Dodge.
Now attending CSU Monterey Bay and studying liberal studies with the goal of becoming an elementary school teacher, Estrada said his connection to PVUSD extends beyond his recent graduation. His mother has taught in the district for about 26 years and currently works at H.A. Hyde Elementary School.
“I have the perspective of a student,” he said. “I have the perspective of someone who has family in the district and the perspective of someone who wants to stay in the district.”
Estrada said he hopes to eventually teach at H.A. Hyde after earning his degree and teaching credential.
Dodge, meanwhile, said his roots in the district and community run deep. A Watsonville High School graduate and parent of a recent PVUSD graduate, he said he is seeking another term because the district needs an experienced and independent voice as it navigates financial challenges.
During his tenure, Dodge said, he has advocated for raises and fair wages for teachers and classified employees, opposed cuts he considered unnecessary and pushed for investments in schools. He also points to efforts outside the district, including working with Watsonville officials on traffic safety improvements and helping bring the POW/MIA flag to Watsonville High School.
“There is still work to do,” Dodge wrote. “PVUSD continues to face financial challenges, and we must be responsible with every dollar while protecting the programs and people who directly serve our students.”
He said the district must continue improving facilities, supporting employees and expanding opportunities for students, while looking for creative approaches to issues such as teacher and workforce housing.
Dodge’s attendance could become an issue in the campaign.
A review of regular board meeting minutes from January 2024 through this month shows Dodge was marked absent at 15 of 50 meetings, or 30%. Dodge said those absences should be considered in the context of balancing his board responsibilities, career and duties as a single father.
Dodge said he largely raised his daughter on his own from the time she attended Linscott Elementary School through her graduation from Watsonville High School two years ago. She subsequently enrolled at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“Yes, I missed some meetings,” Dodge wrote. “But I was also raising my daughter and making sure she had every opportunity to succeed. I will never apologize for being there for my child.”
He said voters should judge his tenure by his work for students, employees and families rather than attendance alone.
Estrada, who would have to balance board service with his own college schedule, said he has already taken steps to make sure he can attend meetings. He recently worked with his academic counselor to arrange his classes around the board schedule and said he has left enough time for coursework and trustee responsibilities.
Estrada has some leadership experience, though none in elected office. He participated in Associated Student Body for about two years and was a varsity captain on both the football and wrestling teams at Pajaro Valley High. He also helped develop and deliver student presentations addressing abusive language on campus.
Estrada said he understands that his age could cause some voters to question whether he is ready for a board that frequently faces contentious meetings and difficult decisions.
He said he would bring “a level of respect and a level of professionalism” to those discussions.
Much of Estrada’s campaign centers on giving students, teachers and families a greater say in district decisions. He said that position has only strengthened since he announced his candidacy in March.
“More than ever, we need to really be listening to the community and what the community wants,” he said. “At the end of the day, the community is the one affected by these choices.”
Earlier this year, Estrada also said he wanted the district to scrutinize spending, including reducing the use of outside consultants and eliminating programs that are no longer being used.
Asked whom the school board ultimately serves, Estrada rejected the notion that trustees should primarily answer to the adults who elect them.
The board, he said, should serve the entire district community, including staff, families and students—even though many students are too young to vote.
“Anyone who’s directly affected by decisions made by the board is who the board is intended to be serving,” he said.
Dodge similarly framed his campaign around the larger community, saying political disagreements should not obscure common goals such as safe neighborhoods, quality schools and opportunities for children.
“This community raised me, PVUSD educated me, and I believe in giving back to the community that has given so much to me,” he wrote.
For Estrada, the election is an opportunity to move almost directly from being governed by PVUSD’s decisions to helping make them.
He said his campaign has received support from teachers, staff, students and parents, and he believes his recent experience inside district classrooms gives him a perspective that is largely absent from the board.
Regardless of the outcome, Estrada said he wants residents to participate in the election.
“Even if they don’t vote for me,” he said, “get out there and put out your vote because this is how your opinion is important.”
