Nick Melvoin seeks reelection to the Los Angeles Unified School Board District 4 seat in the Nov. 3 general election. The race is nonpartisan. He faces Ankur Patel, according to the Los Angeles Times voter guide.
Melvoin has held the District 4 seat since 2017 and served as board vice president, according to Wikipedia. He ran for Congress in California's 30th Congressional District in 2024.
Candidate information
- Office sought: Los Angeles Unified School Board, District 4
- Election: California General Election, Nov. 3, 2026
- Ballot status: Certified for the ballot
- Party: Nonpartisan
- Birthplace: Brentwood, Los Angeles
- Education: High school diploma, Harvard-Westlake High School (2004); bachelor's in government, Harvard University (2008); master's in urban education, Loyola Marymount University (2010); J.D., New York University (2014)
Experience and public service
Melvoin started his teaching career at Edwin Markham Middle School through the Teach For America program, according to Wikipedia. He taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District from 2008 to 2010, according to BallotReady profile data.
He served as a legal clerk at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California in 2012. After earning his law degree, he worked as director of policy, communications and associate counsel at Great Public Schools Los Angeles from 2014 to 2015, according to BallotReady. He also served as an advocacy consultant at Educators 4 Excellence in 2015. He was a lead teacher organizing consultant at Teach Plus from 2015 to 2016 and adjunct faculty at Loyola Marymount University from 2014 to 2017.
Melvoin served on the Domestic Policy Council staff during the Obama administration, according to Ballotpedia. He is the director of Camp Harmony, a nonprofit, volunteer-run sleepaway camp that provides free weeklong summer experiences for underprivileged children ages 7 to 12, hosting about 400 per season, according to the Los Angeles Times.
On the issues
Student cellphone and screen time policy: Melvoin said on his campaign website that he authored the resolution to ban cellphones and reduce screen time during the school day. He said he also put forward a proposal to place new limits on student screen time in April 2026.
Vocational education: Melvoin said on his campaign website that he has led the effort to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to expand vocational programs, giving students hands-on training for good-paying jobs.
Charter schools: Melvoin has been the board's most consistent supporter of charter schools, according to the Los Angeles Times. His stated goal is to ensure that all public schools in Los Angeles serve their students well and that charters and district-operated schools can co-exist beneficially, the Times reported.
School police and safety: On his 2026 survey, Melvoin selected "No funding should be eliminated" as best representing his position on school police funding, according to the Los Angeles Times. In 2020, he was part of a narrow board majority that cut school police funding by 35%, with officers shifting entirely to neighborhood patrols.
Endorsements
The following endorsements were claimed by the endorsers, according to the Los Angeles Times and BallotReady profile data:
- Teamsters Local 572
- Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council
- California School Employees Association Los Angeles 500
- Pacific Palisades Democratic Club
- Democrats for Israel Los Angeles
- Los Angeles Daily News Editorial Board
Policy positions attributed to the candidate's campaign website reflect his own statements. Survey responses attributed to the Los Angeles Times reflect that outlet's candidate questionnaire.
