The Las Virgenes Unified School District board will have one new member after Coral Edwardsen won one of three open seats, while incumbents Angela Cutbill and Dallas Lawrence retained theirs. Edwardsen, a former LVUSD teacher who lives in Westlake Village, placed third with 8,497 votes, or 22.25 percent. She finished ahead of fellow former educator Sandra Pope, who received 7,925 votes, or 20.76 percent.
Cutbill led the four-candidate field with 11,725 votes, or 30.71 percent, and Lawrence placed second with 10,037 votes, or 26.28 percent, according to The Acorn. The district serves Westlake Village, Calabasas and Hidden Hills in Los Angeles County, as well as Bell Canyon in Ventura County. Voters cast ballots in person at the Agoura Hills Library on Tuesday.
The election featured two incumbents and two former LVUSD educators competing for three seats, as Calabasas Courier Online reported before the vote. Cutbill and Lawrence were first elected in 2013. Board President Lesli Stein did not seek another term, leaving her seat open.
Classroom Technology Policy Became a Flashpoint
Classroom technology, district transparency and student support emerged as central issues in the race, the Courier reported, with candidates voicing concerns about academic integrity, student learning and the responsible rollout of new tools like artificial intelligence in classrooms. Those questions weren't abstract: the board unanimously adopted new technology policies on Sept. 29, limiting screen time for elementary students and setting up review processes for AI tools used in middle and high schools, the same reporting from the Courier indicated.
The district's cellphone ban, which took effect at the start of the 2025-26 school year, also loomed over the campaign. That policy passed on a 3-2 board vote, according to the Acorn's pre-election coverage. Pope, who resided in Agoura Hills and led the teachers union, campaigned directly against the sitting board, accusing it of abusing its power — particularly when it came to the classroom technology changes.
What the District’s Technology Rules Require
The instructional technology policy adopted Sept. 29 bars individual devices for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students, and sets weekly average device-use caps of 50 minutes for grade one, 100 for grade two, 150 for grade three and 200 for grades four and five, The Acorn reported. Separately, LVUSD’s official mobile-device policy says that starting in the 2025-26 school year, students must keep phones, smart watches and other mobile communication devices turned off and stored away bell-to-bell, including during lunch and passing periods.
A Late, Pointed Endorsement
Pope urged her supporters not to back Lawrence, but she took a notably different stance toward Edwardsen, encouraging voters choosing between the two of them to support her rival instead. Pope said Edwardsen is going to be a wonderful long-term board member, a vote of confidence that stood out in an otherwise sharp-elbowed campaign. Lawrence, for his part, lamented the campaign's negative, personal tone as the race wore on.
Edwardsen expressed general support for the district’s direction while criticizing aspects of the board’s decision-making. She said she would bring an inclusive, deliberate approach to policymaking.
Parcel Tax Extension Also on the Ballot
Voters also weighed in on Measure LV, a 12-year extension of the district's existing $98-per-parcel annual school tax. The measure needed approval from at least two-thirds of voters to pass, a high bar that candidates urged voters to clear during an Oct. 15 campaign forum. Early returns appeared to show the measure receiving roughly 70 percent support to 30 percent opposition, according to figures reported by the Acorn.
What Measure LV Would Continue
The Ventura County Clerk and Recorder’s official ballot language describes Measure LV as a 12-year renewal of the existing $98 parcel tax, with senior exemptions. It says all funds—$2 million annually—would benefit local students: Ventura County Clerk and Recorder.
A separate measure summary from the Ventura County Clerk and Recorder described the measure as renewing the parcel tax at its current $98 rate, with no increase, for twelve years. With Cutbill and Lawrence returning and Edwardsen stepping in for the seat Stein vacated, the newly configured board will be the one tasked with implementing whatever comes next for the district's technology policies and, if Measure LV clears its two-thirds threshold, continuing to fund district programs for more than a decade to come.
