Friday, July 10, 2026

School Board Vice President Velázquez Will Not Seek Reelection

Pasadena Unified School District Board Vice President Dr. Yarma Velázquez [PUSD]

Velázquez, a California State University, Northridge professor first elected to the board in 2022, represents a west Pasadena district whose seat is one of four up for reelection on the Nov. 3 ballot. Her decision removes an incumbent from that race at a moment when the board is under public pressure over school-consolidation plans, a projected multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, and two threats to recall other board members.

In a written statement provided to Pasadena Now on Friday for immediate publication, Velázquez called her service “one of the greatest honors of my life” and said she was proud of the work accomplished during her tenure. 

“I want to be clear: my decision not to seek reelection is not the result of accusations or criticism that have recently circulated,” she wrote, saying she believed it important to establish “a clear separation between those matters and this decision.”

Velázquez said she does not typically point to her accomplishments but that “recent criticism has led me to reflect” on them. In her statement, she described a record that included advocacy for dual-language education — noting that the district’s three Spanish dual-immersion programs, once run separately, now use a unified curriculum — along with her work with the district’s English Learner community, which she said was personal because she had “learned English as a second language.” She also cited support for math-intervention programming and involvement in the Linda Vista and Madison Heights communities, including recovery after the January 2025 Eaton Fire, and said she had supported organizations such as Voces Unidas and worked to strengthen relationships with Latino families in Pasadena.

Velázquez said she had also championed facilities improvements across District 7, describing them as investments that current families may not fully benefit from but that are “essential commitments to future generations of students.” Among the accomplishments she cited was her advocacy for what she described as “$127 million for the long-overdue restoration and modernization of San Rafael Elementary School.”

Velázquez is one of four trustees — along with Board President Tina Fredericks and Trustees Scott Harden and Kimberly Kenne — named in recent allegations, raised at public board meetings this spring, of violating California’s open-meetings law through private coordination on a school-consolidation plan. The allegations, which prompted resignation demands and recall efforts targeting two of the trustees, have not been adjudicated, and the four have denied coordinating to steer the process.

Velázquez said public service had taught her “difficult lessons about leadership, representation, and the realities of public life.” 

Asked hypothetically whether she would encourage others to run, she wrote that her answer would be nuanced, particularly for those with children. “Public service should not come at the expense of a family’s well-being,” she said. “Unfortunately, despite our shared commitment to education and community, elected service is not always a safe place for the children of those who serve.”

Velázquez said she would leave the elected role but not the work. 

“While I will no longer serve in this elected role, my commitment to public education, educational equity, and community service remains unchanged,” she wrote, adding that “the need for representation remains” and “the need for advocacy remains.” 

She closed by thanking those who “entrusted me with the opportunity to serve District 7,” writing, “It has truly been an honor.” Her District 7 seat will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.