Coachella Valley Unified school board member steps down

A board member from Coachella Valley Unified School District abruptly resigned on Thursday with about five months left in his term, which was set to end in December.

Adonis Galarza-Toledo, who was re-elected in 2020 to represent Oasis and communities near the Salton Sea, read a prepared statement citing his decision to embark on a new chapter in his life, particularly after the recent birth of his first baby.

"Serving on the Coachella Valley Unified school board has been one of my most life rewarding experiences. It has been an honor to work alongside dedicated individuals to provide the best education and opportunities for our students," he said. "I am confident (the school district) is in capable hands while I'm no longer serving in official capacity. My support and commitment to this district remains steadfast."

He left the board meeting after addressing the board for the final time, adding he had received a text surrounding a tragedy among his friends. Board President Joey Acuña Jr. later thanked Galarza-Toledo for his dedicated efforts on the board.

Galarza-Toledo replaced his older brother, Neftali Galarza, who moved out of the district and is now serving as a councilmember for the city of Coachella, as well as the director for community engagement and partnerships for the Riverside County Office of Education.

Galarza-Toledo, too, will be moving out of the district within a week, he said. (Prior to closed session, the teachers' union president questioned whether Galarza-Toledo had moved out of his representative area before he officially made his announcement.)

Appointed to the school board at age 23, Galarza-Toledo urged his colleagues and former CVUSD superintendent, Luis Valentino, to implement a student trustee program, which was then established during the 2021-22 school year. He is a product of CVUSD, having attended Oasis Elementary School and graduated from Desert Mirage High School. He was the youngest member on the board.

Upon his appointment to the school board, the California State University, San Bernardino graduate said he wanted to "fight for students."

Four of the seven school board members' seats will be up for grabs in the November 2024 presidential election, including Trinidad Arredondo (Trustee Area 1), Galarza-Toledo (Trustee Area 3), Jesus Gonzalez (Trustee Area 2) and Jocelyn Vargas (Trustee Area 4).

Geographically, CVUSD serves the communities of Coachella, Thermal, Mecca and from the Salton Sea to Oasis.

Previous reporting by Brian Blueskye and Jonathan Horwitz was used in this report.

Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.