A Santa Barbara elementary school principal admitted overriding student election results and awarding two positions to runners-up, including the sixth grade presidency to her own daughter.

The confession followed outrage among parents and teachers at Washington Elementary School, as reported by The New York Post.

Principal Arielle Curry acknowledged manipulating the outcome in a letter sent to families Thursday, according to the Santa Barbara Independent. She admitted intervening after students cast their ballots and the votes were counted.

A Santa Barbara school principal has admitted to overriding student election results to award two positions to runners-up, including her own child. https://t.co/kXsrOGacXJ

— Mike Netter (@nettermike) October 11, 2026

The intervention changed the outcome of two races. Instead of giving the offices to the candidates selected by their classmates, the school awarded both positions to students who had finished second.

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One of those students was Curry’s child, who received the sixth-grade presidency. The coveted office includes the opportunity to give the graduation speech at the end of the school year.

Curry was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 28 after the election scheme came to light. She later returned to the school Friday, but her arrival did not settle the campus uproar.

“I led deliberations after the student votes were tallied that resulted in overriding the outcome of two positions,” Curry wrote in her letter to families, according to The Independent.

Curry apologized “for allowing this practice to persist” and admitted that the school’s process for selecting student officers lacked transparency and fairness. She also promised changes, writing, “I am committed to making this right moving forward.”

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Parents and teachers, however, described a school community fractured by the controversy. One parent and one teacher who spoke anonymously to The Independent reported emotional confrontations, tears, harsh exchanges, and deep divisions among students and staff.

The person who initially reported the alleged misconduct was also verbally attacked, the two interviewees told the outlet. The school district subsequently provided employees with information about legal protections available to whistleblowers.

The scandal has prompted questions about how an election designed to teach children about democracy could be overruled by school administrators. Students had campaigned for the offices by creating posters and delivering speeches to classmates.

Roughly 200 students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades reportedly participated in the vote. Washington Elementary is a sought-after gifted and talented education magnet school in Santa Barbara’s Mesa neighborhood.

Student government offices come with privileges, including permission to leave class for meetings. Members also help select school activities, including themed events such as “crazy hat day.”

District officials said the established expectation was straightforward. “The district expects that for student/ASB elections, the candidate with the most votes wins,” assistant superintendent for human resources John Becchio told The Independent.

Becchio also called on members of the community to respect student privacy and allow Washington Elementary to move forward. Some parents and teachers remain concerned that the dispute is larger than the latest election.

The parent and teacher interviewed by The Independent alleged that favored students had received offices before this year’s vote. They claimed Curry inherited a practice in which certain winners were selected rather than allowing the totals alone to decide the races.

They also questioned whether Curry’s promised reforms would affect the current election because her commitment addressed changes “moving forward.” One interviewee pointedly asked, “Isn’t losing a good learning opportunity?”

Curry has worked in the Santa Barbara Unified School District for several years. She previously served as principal of Santa Barbara Junior High and as an assistant principal at Washington and Franklin elementary schools.

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