When trustee Alexia Palacios-Peters first joined the school board for the Coronado Unified School District, meetings were often tense and divided. Today, trustees can disagree strongly, yet move forward on the projects that count with respect and efficiency, according to Palacios-Peters.
“We may disagree on policy, sometimes strongly, but we do it respectfully and we get our work done,” said Palacios-Peters, who was elected to the CUSD school board in 2022. “As Board President for two years, I worked hard to keep meetings on time, on task, and
focused on students.”
Collaboration with other trustees is just one of the things Palacios-Peters hopes to champion as she runs for reelection. That’s in addition to supporting military families and guiding the district through Basic Aid funding, with an eye on facilities and technology.
“Collaboration matters because no single trustee has a monopoly on good ideas,” said Palacios-Peters, who has two children attending CUSD schools and one who graduated CHS in 2025. “The best policies come from rigorous debate, but only when that debate is civil and respectful.”
Palacios-Peters has said, “Let’s bring boring back to the school board.” She says when meetings are boring, this means the trustees are doing their jobs: reviewing budgets, approving policies, and focusing on students, rather than making headlines for the wrong reasons.
“Our students are watching, too,” said Palacios-Peters. “In today’s polarized climate, showing them that people with different views can work together respectfully is one of the most important lessons we can teach.”
In the last four years, Palacios-Peters is proud of the substance behind the culture of collaboration. This includes guiding the district to Basic Aid, an intentional plan to spend-down reserves and manage a temporary deficit while keeping the budget certified as financially sound.
The budget has been the biggest challenge.
“Managing a planned deficit on the Bridge to Basic Aid meant making hard choices,” she said. “It limited what we could do on facilities and maintenance, and it required careful planning so we never jeopardized our financial stability.”
She says rebuilding district reserves will be an ongoing priority. When Basic Aid arrives in 2027-2028, bringing an estimated $8 million to $10 million in additional funding, the first priority must be restoring a strong reserve so the district is protected for the long term, according to Palacios-Peters.
An increase in funding could open the door to future projects, the most important of which, she says, could involve improvements to facilities.
“Years of tight budgets have limited maintenance and upgrades,” she said. “Now is the time to invest in HVAC, as our classrooms face more hot days, along with solar and other building improvements.”
Technology in the classroom is also an area of concern.
“Technology has changed student lives faster than any of our policies could keep up,” she said. “We need to get it right. I want to see a full review of the current classroom technology use, as well as thoughtful guidelines for AI, so that technology supports learning rather than distracting from it.”
Palacios-Peters says she wants to see decisions made on evidence. The district is currently conducting a technology review which will show how, why and when technology is used in district classrooms.
She says technology is important — and students need to be competent and comfortable using it — but it should enhance traditional learning, not replace it.
“Since COVID, the pendulum has swung too far toward screens,” she said. “And let me be clear: there is no place in our classrooms for students to be on YouTube or playing games that aren’t part of the curriculum.”
As a mom of three kids in the district, Palacios-Peters says she feels connected to student life on campus. This helps inform her decisions as trustee.
“My oldest graduated from Coronado High, and my two younger children attend CHS and
CMS, so I see our schools every day through their eyes,” she said. “I hear what’s working and what isn’t at the dinner table, long before it reaches the boardroom.”
Outside of board meetings, she says she attends back-to-school nights, open houses, CoSA shows, Graphic Design horror nights, and fundraisers for CSF and CoSA. She’s also served as Treasurer of the Band and Choir Boosters, helped coordinate Artisan’s Alley for four years, chaperoned band and APA field trips for seven years, and coached the CHS JV girls tennis team.
As a military spouse, Palacios-Peters says she is deeply connected to the military family experience.
“About 40% of our students come from military families, and I’m the only military spouse on the board,” she said. “I know firsthand what these families face: frequent moves, new schools, long deployments, and a parent who may miss birthdays, games, and graduations.”
She says she’s advocated for military-connected students in the CUSD boardroom, in Sacramento, and in Washington, D.C where she attended the NAFIS (National Association of Federally Impacted Schools) to advocate for funding for the district’s military population.
“Military kids are resilient, but resilience shouldn’t mean going it alone,” said Palacios-Peters. “Our schools should make every transition as smooth as possible.”
When Palacios-Peters isn’t with her family or in the CUSD boardroom, she’s working as an attorney representing victims of sexual assault and human trafficking. This includes actively litigating cases, interviewing witnesses, appearing in court, and going to trial.
“I bring not only my legal background, but I am actively practicing as an attorney – analyzing laws, cases, and developing strategies,” she said. “This helps me understand the litigation process of cases against the District as well as consider strategies and proactive measures that the District can take to minimize our risk for further lawsuits.”
She says she became an attorney to help people in her community, and is running for re-election for the same reason: to serve the community.
