Santa Barbara principal returns to campus after rigging student election for child

October 14, 2026

Arielle Curry

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

The principal of a Santa Barbara elementary school returned to campus last week after admitting to manipulating the school election so that her child would become a student president. [Independent]

Arielle Curry is the principal of Washington Elementary, a GATE magnet school in Santa Barbara’s Mesa community. Curry was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 28, after allegations arose the she had ignored vote totals from the election and chose to put second-place finishers in two elected positions.

One of the positions was 6th-grade president, which Curry awarded to her child. The other position Curry gave to a second-place finisher was not disclosed.

Following a 12-day suspension, Curry returned to campus on Friday. Prior to her return, on Thursday, Curry sent a letter to families acknowledging she manipulated the results of the student election and apologizing “for allowing this practice to persist.”

“I led deliberations after the student votes were tallied that resulted in overriding the outcome of two positions,” Curry wrote in the letter. “I am committed to making this right moving forward.”

Curry stated the school’s practice for selecting student officers lacked transparency and fairness, and she would lead the effort to change the process.

Parents and Washington Elementary teachers reacted to the election rigging with outrage.

One parent and one teacher said life on campus over the past couple weeks was one of division, mean words and tears, both among students and staff. The person who first reported the malfeasance was verbally attacked, and the Santa Barbara Unified School District had to send staff information on how whistleblowers are protected by law.