> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.whittierinformed.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 2026 Election Guide: East Whittier City School District, Trustee Area 1 - URL: https://www.whittierinformed.com/2026-election-guide-east-whittier-city-school-district-trustee-area-1/ - Published: 2026-10-16T16:47:02.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-16T16:47:02.000Z - Description: Incumbent Lisa Michelle Dabbs faces challenger Brenda Smith in the November 3 election. - Author: Staff Report - Tags: Elections, School Board, East Whittier City School District Voters in Trustee Area 1 of the East Whittier City School District will choose between incumbent Lisa Michelle Dabbs and challenger Brenda Smith in the November 3 election. Whittier Informed invited both candidates to answer five questions about district priorities, academic performance, spending decisions, and accountability. Both candidates received the same questions, with a requested limit of 100 words per response. ## Meet the candidates The following candidate profiles are based on statements submitted by the candidates and published by the [Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.](https://apps.lavote.gov/candidate-statements?ref=whittierinformed.com) ### Lisa Michelle Dabbs — Incumbent Lisa Michelle Dabbs is a retired teacher and principal who has served on the East Whittier City School District Board of Education since 2018\. According to her official candidate statement, she has prioritized fiscal responsibility, investments in arts and technology, communication with families and employees, and support for teachers and classified staff. Dabbs identifies academic achievement, financial accountability and innovative learning opportunities among her priorities. She says she wants to maintain the district's educational standards while preparing students for future success. [electlisadabbs.com](https://electlisadabbs.com/?ref=whittierinformed.com) ### Brenda Smith — Challenger Brenda Smith is a former East Whittier City School District teacher who worked at Ocean View Elementary School as an intervention teacher and transitional kindergarten (TK) teacher. According to her official candidate statement, she is also a parent and draws on her classroom experience to understand the needs of students and school employees. Smith identifies student and staff support, community involvement and responsiveness to families among her priorities. She says she wants to bring her experience as an educator and parent to decisions affecting the district. Brendasmith4ewcsd.org --- ## 1\. What needs to change? *What is one thing you believe this district should be doing differently right now, and what role should the board play in making that change?* **Lisa Michelle Dabbs:** I’d like us to be more intentional about using feedback from families and employees to guide our decisions, especially as we address declining enrollment. As a board member, I know how important it is for families to feel connected and for employees to feel valued and heard. The board’s role isn’t to run schools, but to set clear priorities, ask hard questions, and ensure our programs and resources align with students and schools’ needs. We should improve how we evaluate what’s working, where to do better, and how our decisions can strengthen confidence in our district to move us forward. **Brenda Smith:** The district should be putting students and staff first. The board should be restricting the large overhead at the district office and be held accountable for the excess administrative positions at the district office. If enrollment is going down, so should the staffing at the district office. ## 2\. Measuring success *What two or three measures would you use to judge whether the district is serving students well? How is the district doing on those measures today?* **Lisa Michelle Dabbs:** I’d focus on two measures: third-grade through eighth-grade reading and math proficiency. Both build the foundation for future learning. ELA (English Language Arts) proficiency has held steady near 58–60% over three years, while math has trended slightly upward but remains our greatest opportunity for growth. Today, 61% of our students meet or exceed state reading standards, compared with 50% in math. We’re seeing strength in ELA , while Math proficiency is an important priority moving forward. I believe effective leadership means being honest about our results, recognizing progress, and working collaboratively to improve outcomes for every student. **Brenda Smith:** I would use student and staff engagement along with LCAP surveys to measure the district. If you look at the most current LCAP the district has done the opposite of what students, staff and parents want. ## 3\. Money and tradeoffs *If the district had to reduce spending next year, what would you protect first? What would you be willing to reduce or delay?* **Lisa Michelle Dabbs:** I’d protect what reaches students every day: teachers, aides, counselors, and support staff who help kids feel secure and ready to learn. As a former teacher and principal, I know what those cuts cost children. Because staffing makes up most of our budget, I’d first look at what we can delay or trim without harming classrooms: consultant contracts, travel, and nonessential purchases. I’d also delay new initiatives, even ones I care about, until we can afford them. And I’d explain every tradeoff publicly, in plain language, before we vote. Our community deserves to understand the choices, not just the results. **Brenda Smith:** Class size needs to be protected. We need to reduce the number of people working at the district office. Cuts need to start at the top, not in the classroom. ## 4\. Recent decisions *Identify one recent decision by the school board that you support and one you would have handled differently. Explain your reasoning.* **Lisa Michelle Dabbs:** I supported the district’s (board's) overall response to COVID during a challenging time. I’m proud of how we handled it. However, looking back, one area I would have strengthened was curriculum-based support for students, teachers, staff, and parents as learning shifted. Perhaps more structured, curriculum-focused online sessions, parent meetings, and guidance on learning expectations could have better supported students, families and educators during distance learning. As a board member, I believe we can learn from challenging experiences, recognize what worked, identifying where additional support would have helped, and apply those lessons to better serve our school communities in the future. **Brenda Smith:** Hiring 2 people for the nutrition department at $86,000 plus a year. I would have asked why do we need to create these positions now, what are the benefits of these positions, what happened to the recipes we already have, and is this where we need to be spending our money when we cut classroom positions. ## 5\. Looking ahead *If elected, what is one measurable result you would want the district to achieve by the end of your four-year term?* **Lisa Michelle Dabbs:** By the end of my four-year term, I’d like to see improved teacher retention across the East Whittier City School District. As we respond to declining enrollment, we can work toward that goal by maintaining competitive compensation, strengthening mentoring, professional development, and creating leadership opportunities that allow experienced educators to grow without leaving the district. I’d also support partnerships with local colleges, including Whittier College, to build a pipeline of future teachers. As a board member, I want to invest in retaining our educators, supporting them well, and fostering an environment where they choose to build successful careers serving our students. **Brenda Smith:** I would love for class sizes to be smaller and more manageable. Students learn and are more engaged when they get one-on-one attention and that cannot happen when we have class sizes as big as 37 students.