Wednesday, September 30, 2026

United Teachers of Pasadena to Host Community Candidate Forum for PUSD School Board Race

United Teachers of Pasadena will host a community forum Saturday for candidates seeking seats on the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education.

The forum, organized by members in Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre, begins at 2 p.m. at First Church of the Nazarene, 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena.

The forum, which will follow a moderated Q&A format, gives PUSD school board candidates the opportunity to share their priorities and vision with educators, parents, and the broader Pasadena community.

Questions will be drawn from United Teachers of Pasadena members, which include librarians, counselors, psychologists, speech pathologists, nurses, and teachers.

“Pasadena Unified School District’s education professionals who work most closely with students have burning questions for our prospective school board members.  The education professionals we represent are looking for true leadership from a school board that will prioritize safe, stable, fully-staffed schools,” says Jonathan Gardner, UTP President.

The announcement did not identify which candidates have accepted invitations to appear.

The forum comes a month before the Nov. 3 general election for four of the school board’s seven seats, in districts 1, 3, 5 and 7, each for a four-year term. Three of those races are contested.

In District 1, incumbent board member Kimberly Kenne faces Felita Kealing, a school student recruiter. In District 3, incumbent board member Michelle Richardson Bailey faces Veronica Elias, whose ballot designation is educator/parent. In District 7, Dennis J. McNamara and Cynthia Torres, whose ballot designations are retired finance executive and education services consultant, are running for the seat held by Dr. Yarma Velázquez, who is not seeking reelection.

Incumbent board member Patrice Marshall McKenzie was the only candidate to qualify in District 5, so she will be appointed in lieu of election.

Board members are elected by geographic sub-district, and candidates must live and be registered to vote in the sub-district they seek to represent. The candidate with the most votes in each race wins, with no runoff. The district serves Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre, along with unincorporated county areas

The event is free and open to the public.