Nicole Gribstad Elected as Area 5 Trustee

Eleanor Gil
Feb 16
5 min read

Updated: Feb 17

By Melvin Najarian 2/12/2025

The San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD) school board works with the superintendent to ensure district accountability, advocate for students’ needs and engage with the school community. Composed of five members who are reelected once every four years, the board represents constituents from SJUSD’s 41 schools, spanning downtown San Jose to the Almaden Valley. Its newest addition is Nicole Gribstad, who campaigned for Trustee Area 5 and secured the vote on Nov. 5, 2024. She was sworn into office on Dec. 13, 2024.

The school board is responsible for the continuous review, improvement and development of important educational values that embody SJUSD’s values. Board members are also involved in various committees; for example, Gribstad will serve as an alternate on the San Jose Unified Council of the Parent Teacher Association, Budget Advisory Committee and District Audit Committee.

When asked about her background, Gribstad described herself as an educator, parent and “visionpreneur” of leadership development. She also started Wellness360, where she serves as a Christian wellness coach, focusing on trauma recovery and global wellness. While balancing her work at Wellness360, Gribstad also homeschooled her children rather than sending them to SJUSD schools. She stated that she is proud that families can choose whether or not to send their children to public or private school.

“I ran for this position because I saw a need that met my expertise. I am happy to serve and excited to work with other board members to advocate for students’ well-being, mental health and leadership,” Gribstad said.

Area 5 contains nine schools with vastly different demographics. For example, of the total student population at Leland High School, 48.3% are white, 29.5% are Asian, 10.3% are Hispanic or Latino and 0.7% are African American, according to the California Department of Education. On the other hand, at Pioneer High School, 37.6% of students are white, 11% are Asian, 39.8% are Hispanic or Latino and 1.8% are African American. When questioned how she plans to support these varying demographics, Gribstad stated that she wants to celebrate diversity.

“I see every student as a soul, and every soul is loved and valued, so every student will be supported. We receive and provide a safe environment, regardless of socioeconomic class, regardless of whether you're documented or not. I would like to see a more robust safety plan that will outline all these guidelines on treatment, language and teaching our students,” Gribstad said.

According to a study conducted by the Center for American Progress, schools comprised predominantly of students of color often have access to fewer resources. In fact, schools where 90% or higher of the student population consists of students of color receive $733 less per student annually than schools that have a 90% or higher white student population.

“Schools have different needs based on their students’ backgrounds, so treating them all the same does not really work. If education leaders do not consider factors like demographics and income levels, then some schools are going to struggle more than others. It is not about giving every school the same resources, it is about making sure each one gets what it actually needs to help students succeed,” Junior Payton Ahlgren said.

Gribstad explained that her top three priorities include maintaining academic excellence, ensuring school safety and building a strong and healthy community. She plans to raise the district’s ranking by improving students’ math and English proficiency scores.

In 2024, test data from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) showed that 49.53% of SJUSD students met or exceeded standard English proficiency, while 50.47% fell short. In math, 40.86% of students met or exceeded the standard, while 59.14% fell short.

“I plan to work with the other board members and the superintendent to assess our curriculum, ensuring that it is the most robust and competitive. We are going to review and assess to make sure it is proving track records,” Gribstad said.

While campaigning, Gribstad was officially endorsed by both the Santa Clara Republican Party and the Moms for Liberty Santa Clara chapter. The latter is a far right conservative organization; according to The New York Times and Newsweek, the Moms for Liberty agenda has been pushing for harsher classroom disciplines, calling for books with LGBTQ+ and critical race theory themes to be banned, reducing funding for schools that champion progressive ideas and advocating to close the Federal Department of Education. Additionally, Education Week reports that Moms for Liberty supports school choice programs, including vouchers, tax credit scholarships and education saving accounts, which allow families to use public funds for private school tuition. Gribstad accepted both endorsements because she needed the political capital to win against her opponents.

“The Santa Clara Republican Party found my campaign somehow, and then the Moms for Liberty reached out to me. Since they were also aligned with the same priorities that I have, I did not see a harm in them supporting me,” Gribstad said.

In terms of these similar priorities, Gibstad has placed a significant emphasis on parents rights. On her campaign website, she stated that parents have the right to ensure transparency and involvement in their childrens’ education. For example, she said parents should review the educational materials that their children receive and determine whether they align with their values—if they do not, parents should have the right to opt their children out from reading the text.

“If parents are opting students out of aspects of their schooling, they are doing their children a disservice. High schoolers live in a complex and challenging world, and it is not going to get any less challenging or less complex as they get older. There is no opt-out from the real issues and experiences of life, and school is generally the safest place to encounter challenging topics and themes where they can be explored and discussed, hopefully moving us all toward greater understanding, empathy and intellectual growth,” Jennifer Touchton, English Department, said.

While running for office, Gribstad also supported an unclear policy that teachers should retain neutrality. When asked to explain, she elaborated that teachers should adhere to the district bylaws, which are directed by the superintendent.

Aiming to make the district number one in the area comes with the significant challenges of satisfying all groups: the parents, the teachers and, most importantly, the students themselves. Gribstad stressed that she wants students’ voices to be heard, whether through online meetings or in-person.

“We are going to leverage the students and the parents—the people in the schools who see things most clearly. The best way to help the district is by creating a system by which students and teachers can give direct feedback on what is working and what we can improve,” Gribstad said.