I’m Brian Maxted, a local parent, business owner, and candidate for the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees, Area 2.

My wife and I are raising our two daughters here in Paso Robles, and like every parent, I want them—and every student in our community—to have the opportunity to receive an excellent education in schools that are safe, challenging, welcoming, and focused on preparing students for life after graduation.

Professionally, I serve as CEO of the Holloway Group, a local agricultural business with deep roots in the Central Coast. My background also includes law and finance, experiences that have taught me the importance of asking difficult questions, understanding budgets, planning for the long term, and holding organizations accountable for results.

When my family and I moved to Paso Robles nine years ago, one of the things I quickly came to appreciate was how connected and involved people are in this community. Whether through schools, youth sports, local organizations, or simply neighbors helping neighbors, there is a strong sense that people here care about Paso Robles and want to make it better. That spirit of involvement is something I have tried to embrace as well through my service as a member of Rotary, coaching local youth sports, serving on the Cal State Bakersfield Agricultural Business Advisory Board, and serving on the Georgia Brown Elementary School Site Council.

But the title that matters most to me in this race is parent.

I have two children in our schools. The decisions made by the School Board aren’t abstract to me—they affect my daughters, their friends, their teachers, and thousands of families throughout Paso Robles.

I am running because I believe our community deserves thoughtful, independent leadership focused on one simple question:

What is best for our students?

Why I’m Running

Paso Robles has many things to be proud of in our schools: dedicated teachers and staff, strong extracurricular programs, career technical education, athletics, arts, Dual Immersion, and a community that genuinely cares about its children.

But good organizations should always be willing to ask how they can be better.

I’m running for School Board because I believe Paso Robles needs leadership that combines high expectations for students, support for teachers, fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability.

Put Students Before Politics

School Board decisions should begin with students—not political parties, personalities, or outside agendas.

Our schools serve families with different backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives. We do not have to agree on everything to agree that our schools should give every student the opportunity to succeed.

I want our district focused on what unites us: strong academics, safe schools, excellent teachers, engaged parents, and students who graduate prepared for what comes next.

Strengthen the Fundamentals

Reading, writing, mathematics, science, and a strong understanding of history and civics remain the foundation of a good education.

Technology is rapidly changing the world our children will enter. Artificial intelligence alone will fundamentally change how many people learn and work.

Paso Robles should prepare students for that future by strengthening STEM, robotics, engineering, computer science, Career Technical Education, and financial literacy—without losing sight of the fundamental academic skills every student needs.

Support Great Teachers

A great teacher can change the trajectory of a child’s life.

We need to attract and retain excellent educators, give them the tools they need to succeed, and create classrooms where teachers can teach and students can learn.

Just as importantly, parents, teachers, administrators, and the Board need to see each other as partners. Strong schools are built through collaboration—not confrontation.

Demand Transparency and Accountability

Taxpayers should be able to easily understand where their money is going and whether it is producing results.

Measure M provides an important lesson. The 2016 facilities plan identified approximately $135 million in needs, while voters approved a $95 million bond. That meant priorities had to be established and difficult decisions had to be made. Some important projects were completed, while circumstances and priorities changed along the way.

Now voters are being asked to consider a much larger $205 million Measure G-26 bond.

Whether someone ultimately supports or opposes that bond, I believe taxpayers deserve clear project priorities, realistic budgets, regular cost-to-complete reporting, meaningful citizen oversight, and public explanations when projects or priorities change.

Investing in schools and protecting taxpayers are not competing goals.

Good governance requires both.

Plan for the Long Term

School Board members shouldn’t simply manage the next meeting or the next election.

Changes in enrollment, attendance, state funding, technology, labor costs, facilities, and demographics can affect the district for decades.

My experience in business has taught me to examine the numbers, challenge assumptions, plan for different scenarios, and make difficult decisions before problems become crises.

That is the approach I would bring to the Board.

Keep the Community Involved

Parents should never feel like outsiders in their children’s education.

Teachers shouldn’t feel like decisions are simply handed down to them.

And taxpayers shouldn’t have to dig through hundreds of pages of documents to understand how major financial decisions are being made.

I want a School Board that communicates clearly, listens respectfully, asks difficult questions, and remembers that it works for the community.

Most importantly, I want Paso Robles to be a district where families want to send their children, teachers want to build their careers, and students leave prepared to succeed.

That’s why I’m running.