Education · Upper Lake, CA
Upper Lake Unified Trustee Resigns; Board Votes Provisional Appointment, Interviews Oct. 28
Upper Lake Unified School District Board Clerk Claudine Pedroncelli resigned effective October 1, 2026, citing health issues, two years before her term's end. The resignation comes amid a fiscal crisis: the Lake County Office of Education rejected the district's 2026-27 budget and declared it "a lack of going concern," while the district sought $2.5 million in borrowing capacity from Lake County to cover cash shortfalls. On Tuesday night, trustees voted 4-0 to fill Pedroncelli's seat by provisional appointment rather than a special election; candidate interviews are set for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Upper Lake High School, 675 Clover Valley Road. Two incumbent trustees, Joanne Breton and Plante, also dropped out of their Nov. 3 reelection campaigns on Oct. 1 but will complete their terms.