In 1984, the Uribe family relocated from Riverside to San Jacinto, and Ben enrolled at Hyatt Elementary School as a fourth grader. He had previously struggled in the classroom, but the supportive staff at Hyatt fostered a nurturing environment that allowed him to thrive. He earned straight A's on his report card for the first time, a moment he is forever grateful for. That experience planted the seed for everything that followed.

Ben graduated from San Jacinto High School in 1993 and went on to earn degrees from Mt. San Jacinto College, UC Riverside, and Azusa Pacific University. He returned to the district that raised him, spending his entire career serving students in San Jacinto Unified. Today he teaches fifth grade and coaches high school baseball, bringing the same energy and encouragement to his students that he once received at Hyatt.

In 2024, Ben was elected to the SJUSD Board of Education representing Trustee Area #1, with a term running through 2028. He ran because he believes the people closest to classrooms, including teachers, parents, and students, should have a meaningful voice in shaping school policy. For him, board service is an extension of teaching: listening to the community and working to make schools better for every child.

Ben's educational philosophy is rooted in equity and democratic participation. He believes public education should be governed with communities, not for them, and that families, students, and educators should collectively shape the schools they depend on. He focuses on closing achievement gaps, reducing disciplinary disparities, and ensuring every student has access to the resources they need. A strong public school system, in his view, is a public good that serves all children rather than sorting them.

Education is a family affair for the Uribes. His wife Lashawn is also a HUSD educator, teaching first grade at Bautista Creek Elementary. Their children, Benjamin and Olivia, are both college students carrying on the family's commitment to learning. Outside of school, Ben is a lifelong Dodger fan who has recently picked up golf.

Ben often returns to the memory of that first straight-A report card at Hyatt Elementary, proof that the right environment can change everything. He believes the people experiencing a problem should help design the solution, and that public schools should actively create equal opportunity for every student. That belief drives everything he does, from the classroom to the boardroom, right here in San Jacinto.

E+ ben.uribe@sanjacinto.k12.ca.us
P+ 951 961 5927