The Monterey County Superintendent of Schools seat is up for grabs after Deneen Guss announced last year that she would not run for reelection.
Vying for the seat is former Superintendent of Salinas Union High School District Dan Burns and Monterey County Deputy Superintendent Ralph Porras.
The superintendent oversees Monterey County Office of Education. The office provides resources to support the county’s 24 school districts, eight charter schools and the over 72,000 students. As of 2023, the base salary of the superintendent of schools is $273,020.04 annually or $22,751.67 monthly.
Dan Burns
Occupation: Former Salinas Union High School District Superintendent
Campaign platform: Burns has 34 years’ experience in education and during his tenure at Salinas Union High School District established wellness centers at all district school campuses and implemented a workforce housing program to support K-12 teacher retention.
Ralph Porras
Occupation: Monterey County Deputy Superintendent, former Pacific Grove Unified School District Superintendent
Campaign platform: Parras said his vision is to “lead our school districts towards excellence by prioritizing innovative teaching methods, fostering a supportive community, and advocating for the resources necessary to enhance the educational experience for all students”
Polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2. The Californian will update this article when results are released.
Visit our Elections page throughout the day Tuesday, June 2, for the latest news, results and more as the California 2026 Primary gets underway.
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Two candidates vie for Monterey County schools post
Reporting by Roseann Cattani, Salinas Californian / Salinas Californian
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
