Chelsea Bonini and Héctor Camacho in race for San Mateo County superintendent of schools

Camacho and Bonini both operate within the county’s public education ecosystem, but coming from the Office of Education and the Board of Education their campaign priorities differs slightly — and more drastically in their proximity to the superintendent position. 

Bonini has represented Area 4, which largely covers San Mateo, on the Board of Education since unseating an incumbent in 2020 and winning reelection in 2024. 

The board helps supervise the Office of Education and the superintendent, and also approves budgets and supports programs for students outside of other districts while hearing appeals for expulsions and charter schools.

During her time on the board, Bonini has felt disconnected from the ongoings and decisions of a superintendent, which is something she hopes to change. If she were to be superintendent, Bonini’s goal is to increase transparency between the office and its governing board, as well as with the public. 

“I have not had any more insight into it as a board member than as a member of the public,” Bonini said. “If we’re not transparent about what we’re doing, they can’t be involved.” 

Should Bonini be elected, her early days in the role would be focused on a healthier working relationship between the Office of Education and the Board of Education. 

“As a county board member, there was a strained relationship and not a welcoming environment for being involved in changemaking,” Bonini said. 

Establishing a better dynamic between the board and the superintendent is also a goal of Camacho’s. Before working in the Office of Education, he also served as a trustee for 11 years. 

“When a board and a superintendent are working together like that towards a shared goal … you can really impact education. That’s where things like the Big Lift come from,” Camacho said.  

The Big Lift is a comprehensive initiative championed by the Office of Education and many partners throughout San Mateo County to get all third-graders reading at grade level to promote long-term literacy.

In addition to countywide programs and initiatives, such as The Big Lift, the Office of Education and its superintendent are also responsible for providing support to the county’s districts. Its main role is also to provide fiscal oversight and legal compliance. It also oversees the county’s court and community schools, as well as special education programs.

The Office of Education may publicize a service it's offering, such as professional development, and ask districts to “come to us,” Camacho said. If he is elected, he hopes to flip that dynamic. 

“Some take us up on that, and in some cases it’s because it’s a well-resourced district that has the time and staff to be able to send to these events,” Camacho said. “In other cases, we’re not reaching the districts who may feel geographically isolated or feel the Office of Education doesn’t understand their needs.” 

Bonini shares a similar goal of wanting to give more voice to districts to respond to their needs. Her approach is to be there, on the ground, and go beyond curriculum understanding but ensuring districts are engaging in best practices, she said. 

“What’s missing is actually the presence in these spaces,” Bonini said. “I show up, I’m doing the work. I've served on commissions and other positions in which I’m very interconnected … I’ve been very involved in trying to pull the silos into a bigger space.” 

Reimagining how support is offered to districts will be more possible with an internal reworking of the Office of Education, Camacho said. 

“There is a lot more room for cross departmental work,” Camacho said. “If we know all of those things are connected, how do we approach it as a whole thing rather than piecemeal.” 

The government agency employs more than 300 people all working on their various projects —  including Safe Routes to School, the Big Five standards emergency response protocol or Seeds to Solutions, an environmental sustainability education program. 

An emerging focus of the Office of Education is how to integrate artificial intelligence learning and programs into the classroom in a responsible way. 

A task force was established in 2024 to study AI in schools, but in 2025 there was “a huge pivot” of attention to ensuring student safety and well-being, Camacho said of working in the Office of Education. This was largely in response to the growing threat of immigration enforcement and LGBTQIA+ protections for youth.  

In her position as a board member, Bonini acknowledged she “doesn’t know everything that’s going on there,” in regards to conversations surrounding AI within the Office of Education, but she believes the office should be a leader in making sure everyone approaches the topic with the same intention and understanding.

“We have to do it with care, with empathy, with education, we’re trying to bring everyone along,” Bonini said. “The county office can serve as a convener to do that. I think we should.”

Camacho said his experience within the large organization of the Office of Education equips him to better serve as superintendent than his opponent. 

“There’s a very big difference between a board member and an actual practitioner who knows what it means to create, bring people on board and implement a program, and see the results of that program and adjust,” Camacho said. 

To Bonini, her experience as a board member limited in her ability to work efficiently with the Office of Education is the exact reason she’s running and what she hopes to improve. 

Engaging the parent voice is a strong point of her platform as well. Alleviating the concerns of parents in crisis is a key component of the Office of Education’s role, and she hopes to promote parent and student voice. 

The community’s involvement has to go beyond providing input and sharing experiences, Camacho said. Sustaining public schools now means working together as an entire county to work on “what’s best for children” overall. 

“There are resources here in terms of time, in terms of people and in terms of money that are willing to do this work with us if we create the right coalitions and do it together and they see an entry point into this conversation around education and youth,” Camacho said. “That is what I want to activate here.” 

Bonini’s work is personal to her, she said, and is based on the gaps she’s experienced as a parent. 

“This is such an important role for our county,” Bonini said. “It’s obscure, and it’s also a role that is what you make of it.” 

The race for superintendent is on the Tuesday, June 2, ballot. The last elected superintendent was Nancy Magee, who recently retired, and the role is being filled on an interim basis. Voter information guides will begin being sent out in the end of April, and ballots will begin being mailed out in early May. 

The last day to register to vote without provisions is May 18.