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The Placer Union High School District Board of Trustees has appointed Carlton Copa to fill its vacant Area 5 trustee seat, choosing a longtime Loomis-area resident and community volunteer over an educator who previously ran for the seat.
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The board voted 3-1 during a special meeting Thursday to appoint Copa after interviewing the two applicants for the seat. Copa was sworn in immediately after the vote.
The vacancy was created by the resignation of Trustee Tom Duncan, who represented Area 5. Duncan’s resignation was effective July 23, 2026, and was filed with the Placer County Superintendent of Schools that same day, according to the district.
Copa is a parent of four and has lived in Area 5 since 2013. He owns a home-care business, coaches youth soccer and has served on a homeowners association board.
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During his interview, Copa pointed to family, community involvement, athletics and student support as priorities. He acknowledged he was still becoming familiar with some district policies and the responsibilities of a school board trustee, but said he was prepared to study the issues and take part in board governance.
The other applicant, Patrick Gale, is a Penryn resident, parent and educator. Gale emphasized his experience working with teachers, administrators and school boards, as well as the importance of transparency, communication and involving parents, students, employees and community members in district decisions.
Board President Jessica Spaid said the person selected would need to represent the interests and views of Area 5 residents.
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Gale was previously a candidate for the Area 5 seat in the November 2024 election, when he ran against Duncan. Duncan received 58% of the vote to Gale’s 42%, according to the Placer County elections office.
The appointment comes several months after an independent investigation into Duncan’s conduct involving the Del Oro High School girls basketball program.
The district-commissioned investigation, whose findings were announced in June, concluded that Duncan had crossed governance boundaries in his involvement with the program. District officials have not publicly specified the conduct that prompted the finding. The investigation did not find violations of state education law, personal financial gain, misuse of public resources or an effort to benefit an individual student, according to previous Bee reporting.
The district said the concerns leading to the investigation were first reported by the Auburn Journal in December 2025. Following the investigation, the board said it would participate in additional governance training and review its practices concerning the division between board oversight and the district’s day-to-day administration.
With Thursday’s vote, Copa takes over the Area 5 seat vacated by Duncan less than two months ago. The district had announced in August that it would fill the position through a board appointment rather than a special election because of the cost, and it accepted applications through Sept. 2.
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