Nineteen seats governing Ventura County's public schools and community colleges are up for election Tuesday, with more than 40 candidates on the ballot. Some races with one or no candidates will be filled by appointment. School trustees are the chief decision-makers for school districts, with power over everything from the budget to curriculum.

Nearly 50 Ventura County school board seats will be filled during this Nov. 5 general election, representing more than 150,000 students from transitional kindergarten through community college.