Election 2026

Independent, source-first accountability

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Issue record

Education

In short

Villegas's campaign would make public colleges tuition-free and pay teachers and school staff more. Valadao's campaign opposes a one-size-fits-all federal approach and backs more trade school options. On the Visalia school board, Villegas voted for every pay deal he was present for; each passed unanimously, so the minutes cannot show his part beyond his vote. Valadao voted for the 2025 law creating Workforce Pell Grants, which also narrows regular Pell for some students.

Campaign positions

What each campaign says.

Randy Villegas

Would make public colleges, career, technical and community, tuition free, take on student debt, build more local higher-education and apprenticeship centres, and pay teachers and school staff more.

David G. Valadao

His campaign opposes a one-size-fits-all federal approach, wants parents and educators given resources and flexibility, and supports expanding vocational and trade school options.

Evidence timeline

What the record shows.

  1. official action

    Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

    Visalia Unified's graduation rate rose from 90.8% in 2021 to 95.5% in 2025, with a dip in 2023; state rates rose too, and the data can't show the board's part.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    In the October 6 KGET debate, Villegas said the school board he serves on achieved real results, including higher graduation rates. Visalia Unified's four-year graduation rate was 90.8% for the class of 2021, the last before he joined the board in December 2021, and 95.5% for the class of 2025, the latest. In between it fell to 90.4% for the class of 2023. The statewide rate rose from 83.6% to 87.5% over the same years. Limit: The district's rate did rise while he served, as rates rose statewide. The data cannot show what part the board, or he, played.

  2. official action

    Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

    The Visalia Unified board raised teacher and staff pay while he served, and he voted for every agreement he was present for, each of which passed unanimously.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    His campaign says that as a school board trustee he has fought for and raised wages for teachers, custodians, nutrition workers and bus drivers. The Visalia Unified board raised both units' pay while he sat on it, and he voted for every agreement with them that came to a vote while he was present, all unanimously. In his first year he seconded the classified employees' 2022-23 agreement (June 28, 2022), which adjusted their salary schedule for the state minimum wage, raised it a further 6.4 per cent and paid $3,500 once to staff working six hours a day or more, pro-rated for others. He moved the teachers' 2023-24 agreement, which raised all certificated salary schedules 10 per cent (May 9, 2023), and voted for the classified employees' 2023-24 agreement, which raised their schedule 9.25 per cent (June 13, 2023); the classified unit includes custodians, cafeteria workers and bus drivers. The 2025-26 agreements added 1.25 per cent for teachers (May 23, 2025) and 0.76 per cent for classified staff (June 10, 2025). The 2024-25 agreements, which he also voted for and one of which he seconded, kept both units' 2023-24 salary schedules and gave each one fewer work day at the same pay. He also voted for two smaller classified agreements on consent: more paid hours and days for cafeteria staff (December 12, 2023), and a raise of at least 5 per cent for nutrition-services delivery staff from January 2025 (November 19, 2024). He was absent for three agreement votes: the teachers' 2022-23 agreement on July 19, 2022, a 7.56 per cent increase to all salary schedules with a $2,500 one-time payment for full-time staff, and both 2026-27 agreements, on June 9 and June 11, 2026, each approved 5-0 with two trustees absent: 3.25 per cent for teachers, and 1.85 per cent plus a $1,000 one-time payment for classified staff. Limit: Wages did rise by board vote while he served, and his votes were for every raise that reached him. But every one of those votes was unanimous, and the minutes summarise motions and roll calls rather than debate, so they cannot show that he fought for the raises any more than his six colleagues did. The raises were negotiated by the district with the unions; a trustee's part is the vote.

  3. official action

    David G. Valadao: Matches stated record claim

    The law creates Workforce Pell Grants for short, approved job-training programs from July 2026, and also narrows regular Pell for some students.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    In the October 6 KGET debate, Valadao said the 2025 reconciliation law he voted for improved Pell grants, so young people can go to school to learn trades such as plumbing. Section 83002 of Public Law 119-21 creates Workforce Pell Grants from July 1, 2026, for job-training programs of at least 150 but under 600 clock hours, lasting at least 8 but under 15 weeks, that the state's governor and the Education Department approve. The same law ends regular Pell grants from July 2026 for students whose student aid index is at least twice the maximum grant, or whose non-federal grants cover their full cost (sections 83001 and 83004). He voted Aye on the final bill (Roll Call 190). Limit: Workforce Pell starts with the 2026-27 school year, and a program qualifies only after state and federal approval. The same law narrows regular Pell for some students.

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Sources35 source records

How we use sources

  1. Issues: Education and traininghttps://www.villegasforcongress.com/issues/education-training

    Villegas for Congress · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Campaign-controlled. Carries the one claim about his own record found on the site, on staff wages as a school board trustee.

    candidate statement

    For: Randy Villegas: campaign position; Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  2. Issues: Educationhttps://valadaoforcongress.com/education/

    Valadao for Congress · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Campaign-controlled; undated.

    candidate statement

    For: David G. Valadao: campaign position

  3. KGET 17/KSEE24 CA-22 debate, Villegas on school board results, 51:12https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlTfMhDMlpQ&t=3072s

    KGET 17 News, with KSEE24 · Published Oct 6, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 10, 2026

    51:31-51:37. Paraphrased, not quoted: one copy of YouTube's English captions; no second English transcript.

    candidate statement

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  4. Four-year graduation rates, 2020-21 (data file) (document)

    California Department of Education · Reviewed Oct 10, 2026

    Visalia Unified district row, all schools including charters: 2,177 students in the cohort, 1,976 graduates, 90.8%. State row: 83.6%.

    official office record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  5. Four-year graduation rates, 2022-23 (data file) (document)

    California Department of Education · Reviewed Oct 10, 2026

    Visalia Unified district row, all schools including charters: 2,298 students in the cohort, 2,078 graduates, 90.4%.

    official office record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  6. Four-year graduation rates, 2024-25 (data file) (document)

    California Department of Education · Reviewed Oct 10, 2026

    Visalia Unified district row, all schools including charters: 2,238 students in the cohort, 2,138 graduates, 95.5%. State row: 87.5%.

    official office record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  7. Board of Educationhttps://www.vusd.org/boe

    Visalia Unified School District · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The district's own board page, which lists "Randy Villegas Ph.D." as the member for Trustee Area 6: appointed 12/2021, elected 11/2022 and 11/2024, term ending 12/2028. This is the official source for his office; the campaign calls him a school board trustee without naming the district.

    official office record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  8. Regular board meeting minutes, June 28, 2022https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hVMV3jWcvwLG8eh6V9zia4oQT9bhPNjd/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 28, 2022 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Approved board minutes, published by the district in its Google Drive minutes archive. A scanned document with no text layer, read by optical character recognition. Cited from printed page 13, item 13.1.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  9. Board agenda packet, June 28, 2022: VUSD and CSEA Chapter 83 tentative agreementhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1M1qbl3cyp6MM770BsXYdeC2CxPw91m6F/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 28, 2022 · Reviewed Sep 24, 2026

    The enclosure behind the classified employees' 2022-23 agreement (Encl. No. 54). Its tentative agreement of May 27, 2022, a scanned page read by optical character recognition (PDF page 754), adjusts the salary schedule for the increase in California's minimum wage, then raises it 6.4 per cent for 2022-23, and provides a one-time $3,500 to unit members employed as of June 3, 2022 who work six hours a day or more and worked at least 75% of 2021-22, pro-rated for the rest. PDF page 763 is headed as the 2022-23 salary schedule reflecting a 6.4 per cent increase.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  10. Regular board meeting minutes, May 9, 2023https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hB1SEQaSyWTVIU8ct8VERI4N34Bv9mgp/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published May 9, 2023 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Approved board minutes, published by the district in its Google Drive minutes archive. Cited from item 15.1, printed pages 15 and 16.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  11. Board agenda packet, May 9, 2023: VUSD and VUTA tentative agreementhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1aQttE7VtPaHeIlwocQrGN1QJSiRdzTNq/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published May 9, 2023 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The item enclosure behind the teachers' agreement. Its tentative agreement of April 28, 2023 increases all certificated salary schedules by 10 per cent for 2023-24: the anticipated 8.13 per cent statutory cost-of-living adjustment plus 1.87 per cent.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  12. Regular board meeting minutes, June 13, 2023https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SzGVIPTxRf48Fo_oD6QVWB17WxkBRVD0/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 13, 2023 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Approved board minutes, published by the district in its Google Drive minutes archive. Cited from item 11.1.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  13. Board agenda packet, June 13, 2023: VUSD and CSEA Chapter 83 tentative agreementhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1kAVE3cBcbS_QXvRzWhCX_WdLIIRItysH/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 13, 2023 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The item enclosure behind the classified employees' agreement. Its tentative agreement of May 23, 2023, a scanned page read by optical character recognition (PDF page 323), increases the classified salary schedule by 9.25 per cent for 2023-24. The unit's classifications in the same enclosure include custodians, cafeteria workers and bus drivers.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  14. Special board meeting minutes, May 23, 2025https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yyYNaEmpgrO0Q7TGtbaArThh1JzCZL1p/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published May 23, 2025 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Approved board minutes, published by the district in its Google Drive minutes archive. Cited from item 2.1.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  15. Special meeting agenda, May 23, 2025: VUSD and VUTA agreement for 2025-26https://drive.google.com/file/d/15rElU0SbR8DGjOtb_2T7Gz9d_FYNgDOI/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published May 23, 2025 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The public disclosure for the teachers' 2025-26 agreement: a 1.25 per cent cost-of-living adjustment for all certificated employees, step and column costs, and the district covering a 9 per cent rise in health and welfare costs.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  16. Regular board meeting minutes, June 10, 2025https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GyDhEJPQdML0CSNfAQmoY-FJzA9G9_3t/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 10, 2025 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Approved board minutes, published by the district in its Google Drive minutes archive. Cited from item 11.5.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  17. Board agenda packet, June 10, 2025: VUSD and CSEA agreement for 2025-26https://drive.google.com/file/d/15krCA4GfNQSFJiOZ79iX-iPeXmPMS7iU/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 10, 2025 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The classified employees' tentative agreement of May 19, 2025: the 2025-26 salary schedule reflects a 0.76 per cent increase.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  18. Classified 2025-26 tentative agreement, June 10, 2025https://vusd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/df75fd27-fb92-4f44-9e46-0be4986b5acc

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 10, 2025 · Reviewed Sep 24, 2026

    The enclosure behind the classified 2025-26 agreement, from the district's meeting portal (meeting 174).

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  19. Regular board meeting minutes, June 11, 2024https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_kbri4yraL-SenZ37lOOi_aMEbnbfrO/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 11, 2024 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Approved board minutes, published by the district in its Google Drive minutes archive. Cited from items 10.4 and 10.5, printed pages 15 and 16.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  20. Board agenda packet, June 11, 2024: 2024-25 tentative agreementshttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1bGnOmWxYImiX3wCxEQ5kzMJWImBqzSj5/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 11, 2024 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The enclosures behind both 2024-25 agreements. The classified agreement keeps the 2023-24 salary schedule status quo for 2024-25; the teachers' agreement funds step and column movement and keeps 2023-24 pay rates while reducing the work year by one day. The classified agreement's own terms are cited from the district's meeting portal.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  21. Special board meeting minutes, July 19, 2022https://drive.google.com/file/d/1by0gCdTTd4u2CXi5SYULQ4Xnxpoby7rN/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jul 19, 2022 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Approved board minutes, published by the district in its Google Drive minutes archive. A scanned document with no text layer, read by optical character recognition. Cited from printed pages 6 and 7.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  22. Special meeting agenda packet, July 19, 2022: VUSD and VUTA agreement for 2022-23https://drive.google.com/file/d/14vZgmvyq-xun3qIv6NNyv6WP5R7VRPic/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jul 19, 2022 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The enclosure behind the teachers' 2022-23 agreement (Encl. No. 9). Its public disclosure (PDF page 69) describes a 7.56 per cent salary and benefit increase and a $2,500 one-time payment for full-time employees, and its certificated salary schedules, scanned pages read by optical character recognition (from PDF page 55), are headed "2022-23 - Effective July 1, 2022 with 7.56% COLA". The minutes of the meeting give the increase as effective July 1, 2021; the packet's disclosure and schedules place it in 2022-23.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  23. Regular board meeting minutes, June 9, 2026https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IF2SMOFW6sngSgvZif1K6XwZSX96A-HP/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 9, 2026 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Approved board minutes, published by the district in its Google Drive minutes archive. Cited from item 11.5.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  24. Special board meeting minutes, June 11, 2026https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ck7hCy_-mhz07WR_P0J6g6Ys_GyBufW_/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 11, 2026 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Approved board minutes, published by the district in its Google Drive minutes archive. Cited from item 10.3.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  25. Regular board meeting minutes, November 19, 2024https://drive.google.com/file/d/1meWBVx6SBpf4ABBxS58I0L7O_0p8H-Ad/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Nov 19, 2024 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Approved board minutes, published by the district in its Google Drive minutes archive. A scanned document read by optical character recognition. Cited from printed pages 7 and 8, the consent agenda and items 6.16 and 6.17.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  26. Classified 2024-25 tentative agreement and disclosure, June 11, 2024https://vusd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/de8ef439-c644-4ad7-8489-a5a8f6e45d6f

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 11, 2024 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The enclosure behind the classified 2024-25 agreement, from the district's meeting portal (meeting 144).

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  27. Regular board meeting minutes, December 12, 2023https://drive.google.com/file/d/19tUVpTjolSACR7NuMyP6jyClLfAEmvYF/view

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Dec 12, 2023 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Approved board minutes. Cited from item 12, the consent agenda, and item 12.16.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  28. Consent item 12.16, December 12, 2023: CSEA agreement on Nutritional Services hours and dayshttps://vusd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/9ce8a966-2590-41fd-8b2d-db91f477d5ec

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Dec 12, 2023 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The signed agreement, from the district's meeting portal (meeting 77). A scan, read by OCR. The item cover puts the cost at $944,178.96.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  29. Consent item 6.17, November 19, 2024: reclassification of delivery person positionshttps://vusd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/b632a8c9-00b7-4a43-bf1d-d46f48367fa7

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Nov 19, 2024 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The signed agreement, from the district's meeting portal (meeting 166). Page 2 is a scan, read by OCR.

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  30. Teachers' 2026-27 tentative agreement and disclosure, June 9, 2026https://vusd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/79089a0c-c8fc-47aa-9c81-7bfd122d5655

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 9, 2026 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The enclosure behind the teachers' 2026-27 agreement, from the district's meeting portal (meeting 199).

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  31. Classified 2026-27 tentative agreement, June 11, 2026https://vusd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/57d76514-1612-4e6f-95b2-6620c6c9ca69

    Visalia Unified School District · Published Jun 11, 2026 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The enclosure behind the classified 2026-27 agreement, from the district's meeting portal (meeting 200).

    official legislative record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  32. Board meeting minutes archivehttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mb6qUYw61qJrVyYUsAyVrmBJ6rfZ9HXZ

    Visalia Unified School District · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The archive the district's board-meetings page links for approved minutes, one folder per school year. Ninety-seven sets of minutes from December 2021 to June 2026 were read; thirty-seven of them are scanned images with no text layer and were read by optical character recognition.

    official office record

    For: Randy Villegas: Matches stated direction

  33. KGET 17/KSEE24 CA-22 debate, Valadao on what the 2025 law carried, 26:00https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlTfMhDMlpQ&t=1560s

    KGET 17 News, with KSEE24 · Published Oct 6, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 10, 2026

    26:03-26:19. Paraphrased, not quoted: one copy of YouTube's English captions; no second English transcript.

    candidate statement

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated record claim

  34. Public Law 119-21 (H.R. 1, 119th Congress)https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ21/html/PLAW-119publ21.htm

    U.S. Government Publishing Office · Published Jul 4, 2025 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The enacted text, read in full from GovInfo. Used for sections 50501 (water conveyance and storage), 71112 (retroactive coverage), 71119 (community engagement requirement) and 71401 (Rural Health Transformation Program). Also used for sections 50101 (onshore lease sales), 70103, 70104, 70201 and 70202 (senior deduction, child credit, tips, overtime), and 70512 and 70513 (wind and solar credits).

    official legislative record

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated record claim

  35. Roll Call 190, H.R. 1, on concurring in the Senate amendmenthttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025190

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Recorded vote of July 3, 2025, read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by his member ID. Agreed to 218-214; the bill became law the next day.

    official legislative record

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated record claim