Grace Dañino Hickok is running for the Newport-Mesa Unified School Board Area 7 seat in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, California general election. The nonpartisan race also includes Andy Godinez.
Dañino Hickok, who describes herself as a Spanish teacher and language education business owner, said her campaign focuses on student success, parent partnership and including every family in the district.
Candidate information
- Residence: A resident of the district's Trustee Area 7, according to her campaign website
- Background: Dañino Hickok said she is originally from Lima, Peru, and came to the United States in 1995.
- Family: Mother of two daughters, according to her campaign website
Experience and public service
Dañino Hickok said she has worked as a Spanish teacher and owns a language education business. Before coming to the United States, she said she developed language immersion programs that gave students the chance to learn through real-world experiences, helping young people build confidence and communication skills.
She said she has worked with children of all ages for more than a decade using student-centered teaching methods, according to her campaign website.
Dañino Hickok said she has also partnered with Kids Alive International, an organization supporting educational opportunities for vulnerable children and families, according to her campaign website.
On the issues
Student success: Dañino Hickok listed student success as a top campaign priority on her campaign issues page. She did not detail specific proposals or funding plans.
Parent partnership: On her campaign website, Dañino Hickok said she wants educators and parents to work closely together so families stay involved in their children's schooling. She did not outline specific steps to achieve this goal.
Including every family: Dañino Hickok listed inclusion of every family in the district as a campaign priority. She did not provide additional detail on this issue.
Endorsements
No endorsements appeared in the materials reviewed.
Candidate responses were drawn from Dañino Hickok's campaign website and from Spotlight Schools. The Newport Signal did not interview the candidate for this profile. Voters can learn more at danino-hickokfornmusd.com.
