MEET TRUSTEE KRIS ERICKSON
As a 50‑year resident of the Orange Unified School District and your Trustee since 2018, I am deeply rooted in our community and committed to ensuring every student has the same opportunities that opened doors for me. As an El Modena High School graduate, I was able to attend UC Irvine and later earn my law degree, thanks to the OUSD educators who believed in me and helped shape my path.
My husband, Kurt, and I have been married for 30 years, and we’ve had the joy of raising our daughters right here in the community we’ve always called home. We are both proud OUSD graduates, and when it came time to choose schools for our children, we chose OUSD again. With that choice came a commitment: to give back, to show up, and to help make the experience better not only for our own kids, but for every child in our district.
For more than 25 years, while running my own small business and practicing law, I made time to volunteer in our schools and community. I’ve coached Mock Trial, mentored at‑risk youth, served in PTA leadership, chaired the Santiago Middle School Charter Board, supported the Title VI Native American Program, and served on multiple nonprofit boards. The experience and relationships I built over the years fostered trust, and I am proud to be endorsed by our classroom teachers, and hundreds of parents, elected officials and community leaders.
When my oldest daughter entered high school, I saw that her campus looked exactly as it had when I attended decades earlier. Along with other concerned parents, I launched a grassroots effort (C.A.R.E.) that ultimately led to the passage of Measure S, a $288 million investment in modernizing our high schools. That same year, I was honored to receive the Golden Oak Service Award, the highest recognition for service to children and the community from the California PTA.
Since being elected to the Board of Education in 2018 - and re‑elected in 2022 - I have worked every day to ensure that our students are supported academically, socially, and emotionally. Throughout my legal career, I have seen the consequences when young people fall through the cracks. As a Trustee, I am determined to make sure that doesn’t happen here. Every child deserves to graduate with confidence, purpose, and the skills to pursue their dreams.
I believe deeply in the power of public education because I have lived it, my children have lived it, and I see its impact in our community every day. It is an honor to serve the district that was my foundation for a success, and I hope to continue working toward a future where every student in Orange Unified can reach their greatest potential.