Our Board of Education hires the superintendent. They meet about twice a month. Their biggest jobs are to work with the CFO and Superintendent to manage the annual budget, which is set each June by the Governor of California. The Board also ensures that GUSD policies are compliant with local, state, and federal laws governing public education. They set labor contracts with the teachers union and classified employees union. Most importantly, the Board works to establish and meet priorities for student achievement, student and staff safety and well-being, and more.

A long-standing Glendale resident, Vivian Ekchian has over 30 years of experience as a public schools teacher an administrator who joined GUSD in the summer of 2020. Much of her success stems from her life experiences, including a multi-cultural upbringing and journey to Southern California as an immigrant. She regularly visits schools, meets with parents, and is a tireless advocate for all students.

Dr. Ekchian won the LA County Office of Education’s Superintendent of the Year Award in 2022 (LACOE represents the 80 school districts in LA County).

How do we choose our school board?

Glendale uses trustee areas - there are 5 - to divide up the district. All five members work together for all schools, but they are elected only by the voters in their trustee area. Each trustee area averages around 25,000 registered voters.

Elections are held every 2 years on the date of the California primary. Each election, either 2 or 3 of the seats are up for re-election.

Starting in 2022, newly elected Board members have term limits of 3 terms (12 years) maximum.