Monroe Lace

• Office: Community College Board
• Election Date: November 3, 2026
• Candidate: Monroe Lace
• Due Date: August 10, 2026
• Printable Version

Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the November 3, 2026 election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city delivered via common sense solutions and effective government. Our work includes running public opinion polls to understand what voters want, advocating for those changes, and ensuring that the SF government represents the people.

The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco.

This questionnaire will be published on growsf.org, and so we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

Please complete this questionnaire by August 10, 2026 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.

Note: This questionnaire will use the initialism “CCSF” when referring to the Community College of San Francisco.

• Your Goals
• Executive Leadership
• The Issues
• Personal
• Thank you

Your Goals

We’d like to get some details about your high-level goals and how you intend to use your elected office to achieve them.

The Community College Board of Trustees have three major responsibilities as the governing body of CCSF: (1) hiring, evaluating, and holding the Chancellor accountable to achieving CCSF’s mission, (2) ensuring fiscal solvency and long term institutional sustainability, and (3) setting policy, mission, and strategic direction that makes CCSF a valued community institution. What do you believe is your most relevant experience, perspective(s), or idea(s) that makes you uniquely qualified to be an effective Trustee?

My most relevant qualification is my knowledge of the SFUSD-to-CCSF pipeline. I understand what students need to succeed. I work directly with the students City College serves and the programs City College provides. I have seen firsthand how a strong partnership between City College and K–12 schools can change a student's life. As both a teacher and trustee, I would be uniquely positioned to strengthen the partnership between the College Board and the School Board.

Moreover, I am experienced in student success metrics. As the Board evaluates the Chancellor, I have the skills to assess data regarding program and student success and determine whether CCSF is achieving the results that advance its mission. These skills will also serve me as trustee, as the Board develops CCSF's mission, strategic direction, and policies.

How do you intend to use your experience to make CCSF stronger? Please name 1-3 goals you have for your term as Trustee.

CCSF faces serious financial, enrollment, and governance challenges. Addressing these challenges will require a practical plan. We must return to the basics: balance the budget, increase enrollment, and put student success first.

I believe that maintaining a collaborative relationship with the Chancellor is essential to the duties of a trustee. I want to build a strong partnership between Chancellor Messina and the Board of Trustees so we can provide stable leadership, identify problems early, and work collaboratively toward our shared goals.

My 3 goals are:

1. Restore long-term financial stability
2. Increase enrollment
3. Improve responsible governance

Will the power of the office of the Board of Trustees be enough to achieve these goals?

Yes, but trustees must wield the power of the office with respect for the division between governance and administration. Trustees can govern only. A trustee's job is to read the budget, ask disciplined questions, set policy, select and evaluate the Chancellor, and ensure that public resources produce measurable student outcomes while protecting the college’s long-term stability and accreditation.

In 2024, ACCJC placed CCSF on warning because the Board failed to adequately consider the long-term fiscal consequences of its decisions, did not consistently follow its own policies and bylaws, and interfered with the Chancellor’s administration. A trustee who promises to direct the hiring of specific employees or bypass the Chancellor from the dais misunderstands the office. The next Board cannot afford to repeat the conduct that created this warning.

I would act with fidelity to CCSF’s established participatory-governance structure and the division of labor among the Academic Senate, the Chancellor, and the Board. The Academic Senate leads on curriculum, degree and certificate requirements, and educational programs. The Chancellor manages staffing, course scheduling, facilities, contracts, budget implementation, and the college’s day-to-day operations.

These are distinct responsibilities, and I intend to respect them. As a trustee, I refuse to repeat the governance failures that contributed to CCSF's accreditation warning.

What is an existing Board of Trustees, or CCSF policy, you would like to reform?

I would hold the Chancellor, the Board, and myself strictly accountable to the goals and metrics the Board has adopted. Too often, school boards adopt goals that become nothing more than good intentions. The Board should be asking ourselves: Are we achieving the goals we promised?

I would implement regular public reporting and corrective action when the Chancellor, the Board, or individual trustees, including myself, fall short.

What is an "out there" change that you would make to state/local government policy, if you could? For the purpose of this question, you are not constrained to the office of the Board of Trustees.

I would restore the SAT and ACT as an admission requirement for California's public universities. Standardized testing is the best tool for equity in admissions.

Executive Leadership

Please describe your experience running or governing large organizations, managing teams (including hiring, firing, and performance management), driving cultural change and clear communication throughout all levels, effective financial management (budgets, reporting, audit, etc.), and any other relevant experience you will bring to this office.

I teach at a Title I school serving students with significant academic and socioeconomic needs. In 2024–25, about one in three students met state standards in English, and about one in five students met state standards in mathematics. The school once had the highest number of disciplinary referrals in SFUSD. Since joining the school, I have worked to improve school culture and student outcomes as a teacher leader.

As Department Chair, I set high standards for every student. I hold the line in expecting teachers to provide the instruction, structure, and support students need to rise to the occasion.

I serve on the School Site Council, which develops the School Plan for Student Achievement, reviews student data, and approves the use of Title I and other categorical funds. I am also leading the effort with parents, school leaders, and the Second District PTA to restart our Parent-Teacher Association. To me, parents are their children's first teachers and should have a voice in the decisions and priorities that impact their education.

I am a Cooperating Teacher in San Francisco State University's Single Subject Credential Program. In this role, I mentor a student teacher in my classroom through consultation, observation, and evaluation.

One of the most critical roles for the Board of Trustees is to hire/fire, evaluate, and hold accountable the Chancellor. Please describe your experience working with an executive leader to hold them accountable.

Note: Please remember that this questionnaire will be public, so do not include any personally identifiable information.

Last year, Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed me to the San Francisco Human Rights Commission during a period of public scrutiny following the misuse and mismanagement of public funds. I participated in the Commission's process to recommend a permanent Executive Director and reviewed the Director's reports on grant contracting, audits, and departmental consolidation. I would like to think that, during my time on the Commission, we helped move the department in the right direction.

In general, how do you approach making difficult decisions that you deem necessary even if unpopular? Please share a relevant example, if applicable.

As a commissioner, I supported consolidating the Human Rights Commission and the Department on the Status of Women under the Agency for Human Rights. I nevertheless supported the consolidation because I believe city government should establish a clear chain of command, reduce unnecessary duplication, and improve financial oversight. I would bring that same discipline to make difficult, results-oriented decisions to CCSF.

The best decisions are informed by listening. But listening does not mean avoiding hard choices. I would work constructively with the Board and the Chancellor, but I would not allow the pursuit of consensus to become an excuse for inaction. My responsibility would be to weigh the consequences, make a judgment, and stand behind decisions that put students first.

The Issues

Next, we will cover the issues that voters tell us they care about. We hope to gain a better understanding of your policy positions, and we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

Please describe the current budget allocation of CCSF.

Erwin Tam, Elijah Ball, and I reviewed the following budget together, line by line. This shared analysis forms the basis of our unified budget priorities as a slate, with an eye on CCSF's long-term financial stability:

The Board of Trustees approved CCSF’s Tentative Budget for FY2026-27 on June 25, 2026. The tentative budget included $204.4 million of unrestricted revenue (down $4.7 million from the prior year, or -2.2%). Unrestricted expenditures were $199.4 million (an increase of $14.0 million from the prior year or 7.5%). Transfers out to other funds were $4.3 million (down $8.1 million from the prior year or -65.1%). This resulted in unrestricted net income of $581,645 (down $10.5 million from the prior year or -94.8%).

Unrestricted fund expenditures consist mainly of personnel costs, including academic salaries ($72.9 million), classified salaries ($46.4 million), and benefits ($60.6 million). In total unrestricted personnel costs are $179.9 million or 88.2% of the overall unrestricted expenditure budget. The remaining expenditures consist of $17.5 million for services and other operating, $1.3 million for supplies and materials, $0.8 million for equipment and $4.3 million transfers out.

The tentative budget included $80.2 million of restricted revenue (an increase of $31.7 million from the prior year, or 65%). Restricted expenditures were $63.7 million (an increase of $25.1 million from the prior year or 65%). Transfers out to other funds were $16.5 million (an increase of $6.7 million or 68%). A significant increase of state funding of 72% was the primary driver of the increase in restricted revenue.

Restricted fund expenditures consist mainly of personnel costs, including academic salaries ($15.3 million), classified salaries ($19.1 million), and benefits ($11.4 million). In total restricted personnel costs are $45.8 million or 71.9% of the overall restricted expenditure budget. The remaining expenditures consist of $11.4 million for services and other operating, $3.6 million for supplies and materials, $2.9 million for equipment and $16.5 million transfers out.

CCSF’s parcel tax also contributes significantly to the operations of the College with $19.8 million in revenue. Parcel tax expenditures consist of personnel costs, including academic salaries ($4.1 million), classified salaries ($7.8 million), and benefits ($4.7 million). The remaining expenditures consist of $3.1 million for services and other operating, $0.1 million for supplies and materials, and $0.1 million for equipment.

CCSF has faced repeated fiscal instability. What do you see as the structural drivers of CCSF’s financial challenges? And what will you do, as Trustee, to ensure CCSF moves toward long-term fiscal sustainability?

On the spending side, the Board must be reckon with the scale of the problem. CCSF’s financial challenge is the mismatch between revenue and rising personnel costs. Salaries and benefits represent more than 90% of spending. A deficit of this size cannot be resolved through marginal cuts alone. The California Community College Chancellor's Office recommends that community colleges spend between 75% to 85% on total compensation. Spending above 85% on salaries and benefits leaves CCSF vulnerable to severe fiscal and operational strains during economic downturns. CCSF also remains dependent on a state funding floor fixed at its 2024–25 level, which does not grow with inflation. Until enrollment and student outcomes generate a higher allocation under the Student Centered Funding Formula, rising costs will continue to outpace revenue and leave CCSF in a precarious long-term position.

On the revenue side, the Board must begin preparing well before the parcel tax expires in 2032. Approximately $19.8 million in annual revenue is at risk if the tax is not renewed. The normal path would be to place a successor CCSF parcel-tax measure before San Francisco voters. A successor parcel tax measure will have the best chance of passing only if CCSF can demonstrate responsible spending. The Board must place a successor measure before voters early enough that CCSF is not gambling nearly $20 million in annual revenue on one last-minute election.

San Francisco’s economy and the workforce landscape is changing. What new, existing, or re-imagined programs do you believe CCSF should prioritize over the next four years to ensure its students are getting a valuable education?

My Board priority as trustee is to strengthen the SFUSD-to-CCSF pipeline through (1) dual enrollment and (2) career technical education.

The 1,028 SFUSD graduates who registered for CCSF credit courses in Fall 2025 are only the beginning of what a successful pipeline could look like. As a teacher, I have partnered with Bridge to Success, which supports SFUSD seniors to complete the enrollment process, develop an education plan, receive priority registration, and connect with CCSF programs and support services. The program is credited with improving high school graduation, placement into college-level mathematics and English, and college enrollment, retention, and completion. As a trustee, I would support expanding Bridge to Success so that every interested SFUSD senior can participate.

CCSF's dual enrollment can serve students across the academic spectrum. Gifted students may need courses that their high schools cannot provide. For example, a student who completed Algebra I in eighth grade may exhaust the mathematics sequence available at their school and need access to college-level mathematics. Other intellectually curious students may want to study Cantonese or another subject their school does not offer while earning college credit.

The partnership can also serve students in need of academic remediation. I teach SFUSD High School Credit Recovery during the summer semester. Approximately 50% of SFUSD graduates have participated in a form of credit recovery. CCSF offers noncredit secondary-education courses to meet credits toward high school graduation. In 2022–23, these courses were previously offered at Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School, Mission High School, and CCSF. Current in-person offerings are only at CCSF's Mission Center. As trustee, I would support restoring site-based credit recovery at SFUSD high schools.

Second, I would make the expansion of career technical education a Board priority, including construction, plumbing, and automotive technology. For example, San Francisco currently has no public college programs in cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, or manicuring. Students' only choice is to enroll in a private trade school or commute to Skyline College in San Bruno or Laney College in Oakland, where, in my own experience, programs may have year-long waitlists because of demand.

As a licensed cosmetologist whose livelihood was changed by trade school, I know these programs can provide a direct path to employment, entrepreneurship, and economic mobility. CCSF's CTE graduates see an average 44% wage increase. I would ask the Chancellor to evaluate student demand, program costs, facility needs, licensing requirements, and potential industry partnerships. I would then support an implementation plan to launch and expand CTE programs that are financially responsible.

This is a sound long-term enrollment and financial strategy that doubly improves student outcomes. The goal is to build well-enrolled cohorts at SFUSD school sites and convert participating students into continuing CCSF students. Those outcomes generate both the enrollment funding and student success funding that the state rewards.

How should the Board evaluate and hold the Chancellor accountable? Please name one or two measurable performance expectations you would prioritize.

The current Board Policy for evaluating the Chancellor (BP 1.24) is rather unstructured and only requires an annual evaluation. I would revise this policy to require a more regular and defined evaluation process.

The two performance expectations I would prioritize for the Chancellor are (1) fiscal stability and (2) student outcomes. When results fall short, the Board must require the Chancellor to present a corrective action plan and report regularly on its implementation.

Imagine that State funding for CCSF declines unexpectedly, and CCSF faces a significant mid-year budget gap. You must choose between: reducing course offerings, drawing down reserves, delaying new hiring or compensation increases, cutting or consolidating low-enrollment programs, and more. How would you approach this decision? What data would you require, and what principles would guide your vote?

I would be a fiscal watchdog on the Board. I am an uncompromising advocate for ending deficit spending, balancing the budget, and living within our means.

My rule is simple: do not budget money that may never come, do not use one-time funds to fund more than one-time expenses, and do not postpone decisions until the reserves are empty.

Depending on the size and duration of the shortfall, I would consider every available option. A permanent funding decline requires permanent spending reductions. I would consider delaying hiring, postponing compensation increases, reducing discretionary spending, reviewing outside contracts and administrative costs, consolidating duplicated services, and eliminating chronically low-enrollment programs that cannot demonstrate sufficient educational or financial value. I would even go a step further by reviewing every unrestricted allocation, including vacant positions and outside contracts, before emptying reserves.

Before I came to San Francisco, I slept on a mattress on the floor and counted every dollar. This experience shaped my principles on money and taught me that stability requires the willingness to make hard choices before the money runs out. I would bring the same discipline to the Board.

Personal

Tell us a bit about yourself!

What is your professional background?

I am a teacher at a Title I school.

Previously, I served as Miss San Francisco. During my year of service, I championed my public safety platform, "Stay Safe, San Francisco!" I partnered with the San Francisco Unified School District and the San Francisco Education Fund to teach character education across thirteen K–12 schools. This moment inspired me to pursue a career as a teacher. I decided right then to dedicate my life to children.

In recognition of my service, I received a Certificate of Honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I also received the Excellence in Education Award from The Association of Chinese Teachers.

I hold an AA in History from Diablo Valley College, a BA in History from UCLA, and an MA in Educational Administration and Leadership from San Francisco State University. I am currently pursuing an EdD in Educational Leadership at San Francisco State University. I also hold a cosmetology license.

Are you currently or formerly enrolled at CCSF, and/or do you have any children who are currently or formerly enrolled at CCSF?

No.

How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?

Seven years ago, I ran away to San Francisco with a dream of building a better life. I rented a room in an SRO hotel in the South of Market, where I still live today. San Francisco gave me a home and a classroom. That is what keeps me here.

What do you love most about San Francisco?

Our teachers. We arrive early, stay late, and sacrifice our own time and money to provide what our students need. We chose this profession because we care deeply about San Francisco's children, and I am proud to serve alongside them.

What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?

The cynics who say San Francisco is in a doom loop. San Francisco is on the rise because we are delivering results. CCSF must do the same.

Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)

• SOMA West Neighborhood Association
• The Association of Chinese Teachers
• Parent-Teacher Association
• School Site Council

Why do you want to run for public office?

I am first, foremost, and forever a teacher. My decision to run for public office began with one question: What best serves students? I want my students to know that when they are ready to take their next step, whether toward a degree, a trade, or simply a love for learning, CCSF will be stable and able to serve them.

Thank you

Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!