Each of the trustee seats in the Capistrano Unified School District up for re-election in November will be a contested race, as parents’ group Children First on Tuesday announced a fifth and final candidate, Martha McNicholas.

McNicholas is a Stanford-educated engineer who has served in various PTA and school roles, including committees that helped determine school boundaries and districtwide school year calendars. She is challenging incumbent Ellen Addonizio, a CPA.

In other areas, incumbent Anna Bryson is being challenged by Dana Hills 2010 Dolphin of the Year Saam Alikhani, and incumbent Larry Christensen is being challenged by college-prep company owner Lynn Hatton.

In the recall election, also on November 2, Trustee Mike Winsten is being challenged by attorney John Alpay and Trustee Ken Lopez Maddox is being challenged by Children First candidate Gary Pritchard, as well as retired teacher Gary Miller and Paul Hebbard, a CPA.

The election is November 2. In addition to who will fill five of the seven CUSD seats, voters will also be asked to decide if trustees should continue to be elected at large—in which all voters cast a ballot for all trustee seats—or whether the system should be changed to where voters in each geographic area vote only for a single trustee to represent them.

See the Beyond the Blackboard blog at www.danapointtimes.com for the candidates’ statements and watch future issues of the Dana Point Times.