> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.albanyscanner.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Who is Albany school board candidate Melissa Boyd? - URL: https://www.albanyscanner.com/2026/09/24/election-2026/albany-school-board-candidate-melissa-boyd/ - Published: 2026-09-24T20:20:37.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-28T04:42:44.000Z - Description: "The privilege to represent the needs of others comes with the responsibility to treat the position with the weight it deserves, and that is not something I will ever forget or take for granted." - Author: Guest contributor - Tags: Election 2026, Elections, #articles, Albany Unified School District, Board of Education, Schools, #nohomepage **Name:** Melissa Boyd **Age:** 47 **Occupation:** Attorney, coach and professional development advisor **What office are you are running for?** Albany Board of Education **What is the main reason you are running?** I'm running for re-election because this is a hard job, but it's an important one. Access to a strong public education makes it possible for our students, each and every one of them, to find success in whatever way they define that. Those who lead our schools and teach and support our students have a great responsibility, and they are required to do so much with limited financial resources. I want to contribute to strengthening our schools to serve each of our students in the best way we can. **Why are you qualified?** I have served on the board for a total of five years and learned a great deal from that time – both substantively, about the nuts and bolts of how school systems function and are funded, and procedurally, regarding how to hear and honor the expertise of our district leaders, administrators, teachers and staff, the concerns and priorities of our families, and the wants and needs of our students to arrive at decisions that center our students and their future success. And my experience as an attorney and professional coach has trained me to make difficult decisions in a calm, level-headed way. **What sets you apart from other candidates?** Something that sets me apart is my focus on and passion for achieving equity in our schools. When my daughters were at Marin, I co-founded the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Committee to provide a place to discuss and promote equity, I have been an officer in the district’s Black Parent Advisory Group for as long as I can remember, I lead a DEI committee at my law firm, and I was even honored to receive an award from my firm for championing DEI issues. Ensuring that we never lose sight of the needs of our historically under-resourced students is what compels me to serve. **How and when did you end up in Albany?** My family and I have lived in Albany for 13 years. Our two daughters are attending Albany High this year and have spent their entire school careers in Albany. My youngest started at Albany Children’s Center for TK, and my older daughter started at Marin for Kindergarten. Getting a good education changed my life, and my husband and I moved here to give our daughters access to Albany's exceptional schools and teachers. **What are the three biggest challenges for Albany schools in the next five years?** Three of the biggest challenges for our schools are insufficient funding, difficulty attracting and retaining qualified, diverse teachers and staff, and closing the achievement gaps that currently exist for historically under-resourced groups. With regard to funding, as many of us know our district doesn’t receive nearly enough to run our schools in the way we’d like. Relatedly, we aren’t able to pay teachers and staff what they’re worth, which contributes to a nationwide teacher shortage. And the same populations of students continue not to perform as well as others year after year. **How would you begin to address them?** We should strengthen our services for students with disabilities, which would decrease the amount we’re required to spend placing students in other schools. Our new attendance coordinator should increase attendance, which would result in more state funds. We should engage with more teacher colleges and job fairs, involve affinity group leaders and other interested community members in new hire recruitment where helpful, and continually solicit suggestions from our teachers and staff for new ways to support them. We should be diligent in determining how our current practices are not sufficiently serving our students from underrepresented groups and increase our outreach to students who are struggling, and their families, to find ways to strengthen the supports we’re providing them. [Albany elections: November 2026 ballot measure guideAlbany has six ballot measures that would change zoning rules, business and property taxes, and funding for city services.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b5/b0/b5b0b7ec-798c-4cb6-ab42-472b59c05589/content/images/icon/alb-scanner-orange-3f109e42-c2c7-4da4-8111-3af4bccd18d2.png)Albany ScannerAllyson Aleksey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b5/b0/b5b0b7ec-798c-4cb6-ab42-472b59c05589/content/images/thumbnail/key-route-trees-aa11dae5-224d-4d52-9c6f-b9f0420c8ff4.jpg)](https://www.albanyscanner.com/2026/08/12/elections/albany-2026-november-election-ballot-measures/) **What is one new idea you'd like to bring to Albany schools?** I’d like to bring a “parent ambassador” program to Albany. These would be members of various communities in our district, e.g., multilingual families. They would be involved members of our larger district community that could reach into their smaller communities to answer questions and help families feel more connected. One of the district’s goals has been hearing from groups that may not respond to surveys, attend board meetings or write emails to the board, and this could be a way to do that. **How will you be accessible to constituents?** I am always eager to connect with members of our community. My school board email address is listed on the district website, and I check my emails throughout the day. I have arranged Zoom sessions and coffee chats with interested parties throughout both of my terms on the board and would continue to do so if re-elected. **How much money do you expect to spend on your campaign?** $1,500 **A final thought?** Serving our community as a school board member has been one of the great honors of my life. I approach this position with respect and without ego. The privilege to represent the needs of others comes with the responsibility to treat the position with the weight it deserves, and that is not something I will ever forget or take for granted. **Campaign website:** [MelissaForAlbany.com](http://www.melissaforalbany.com/?ref=albanyscanner.com) *See complete* [*Election 2026*](https://www.albanyscanner.com/topic/election-2026/) *coverage on Albany Scanner.* **Have questions for Albany Scanner, or want to share story tips?** [**Here's how to reach us**](https://www.albanyscanner.com/tips/)**.** ## Sign up for Albany Scanner Stories for an informed community Get updates Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.