Manhattan Beach school board member Jason Boxer has resigned from the MBUSD Board of Trustees, effective immediately, the district has announced.

Boxer stated that they are stepping down to further pursue higher educational interests. “It has been my honor and privilege to serve on the Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board for the past two years,” said Boxer. “I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity and it has been a rewarding experience. I will miss my colleagues and the important discussions and decisions that have paved the way to provide the best educational experience for our students.”

“Boxer’s commitment to serve on the MBUSD Board of Trustees was apparent,” said MBUSD Superintendent John Bowes in a statemnt. “We thank and wish Jason the best of luck in the future.”

MBUSD Board Bylaw 9223 provides the framework for how the vacant Board member position will be filled. The MBUSD Board of Trustees will discuss those next steps during their regular meeting scheduled on Wednesday, January 18, at 5:00 p.m.

A lifelong Manhattan Beach resident and alum of Manhattan Beach public schools, Boxer was elected as an MBUSD Trustee in November 2020 at the age of 28. Boxer has worked as a public school teacher, a community organizer, and an administrator with the Story Pirates, a literacy non-profit that uses the arts to teach reading and writing in Title I schools.

As a school board member, Boxer served on numerous district committees and was most recently the board clerk and board representative to the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association.

Last year, Boxer faced community scrutiny and criticism for certain posts on their Instagram feed. Boxer had shared posts relating to opinions on Israeli/Palestinian politics as well as sex education. However, Boxer's Instagram handle had "MBUSD" in its name at the time.

Board members requested that Boxer remove the "MBUSD" from their profile. Boxer did so, and apologized for creating a divisive situation: "I want to be part of the team, and I want to advocate alongside you for the best interest of our community and our students," Boxer said to board members at the time.