Franchesca Lacanlale is running for one of three open seats on the Milpitas Unified School District’s (MUSD) Board of Education.
“I want to give back at a higher level, especially in the education space, which I feel really passionate about,” Lacanlale said in an interview with The Beat.
Lacanlale is a product of MUSD. As a student, she went to Anthony Spangler Elementary School, Thomas Russell Middle School, and Milpitas High School. She got both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education at California State University, East Bay.
While in school, Lacanlale had her sights set on working toward becoming a teacher.
“But life circumstances changed,” she said. “I took over care for my special needs uncle, which led me to start learning about different services available to special needs adults.”
This led her to pivot toward a new career path.
For nearly 10 years, Lacanlale has been working for the organization Options for All, where she runs a special needs program for adults based in Northern California.
Lacanlale also pours her time into volunteering and uplifting the community in any way she can. For several years, she has run the cheer program for Milpitas Knights. She got on board there because her nieces were part of the team. As a child, she herself was part of Milpitas Knights Cheer for a few years; she also went on to become a cheerleader at MHS.
“I’m not just teaching them cheers or dances,” said Lacanlale. “It’s really about building self-confidence and leadership skills. Showing them how to communicate and problem- solve with the other girls on the team.”
She also works two days a week for an after-school program called Think Together, in order to stay connected to her passion for education. Last summer, while working at the after-school program, she started wondering more about the education system process and asking herself questions about how students can get the support they truly need.
“I’m very solution-oriented,” she said. “I don’t want to be the kind of person who asks questions and doesn’t do anything about it.”
So she decided to do some research. She looked at MUSD’s website to learn about the school district’s processes. She saw that there were three open seats and decided to run for one of them. She told The Beat that she has felt increasingly motivated to give back to the Milpitas community.
Lacanlale was named as one of the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 40 under 40 in 2026. She previously served as board chair of the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, and has been a member of the Rotary Club of Santa Clara.
Two years ago, she did some international outreach work in the Philippines after connecting with another Rotary Club there. She had the opportunity to prepare and distribute food to young pregnant women as part of an outreach effort focused on maternal and prenatal nutrition.
“It was such an amazing experience,” said Lacanlale. “You often hear people are underserved, but when you go out and give back to others, it’s so different from just hearing about it. Giving back in a different country was an experience I’ll never forget.”
Lacanlale is running against incumbents Kelly Yip-Chuan and Chris Norwood, and challenger Anuradha Sankaran. If elected, she would prioritize being a strong collaborator and doing all she can to support students, parents, and teachers.
“When I find a passion, I’m really dedicated to it,” said Lacanlale. “I believe if I’m going to dedicate myself to something, I’m going to be all in. I don’t want to do something mediocre. Especially since the things I choose to do can make an impact on other people.”
To learn more about Lacanlale, go to her website.
