Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Altadena Fire Survivor Qualifies for PUSD Board Race in District 1

Felita R. Kealing, an Altadena resident and longtime Pasadena Unified School District employee whose family home was destroyed in the January 2025 Eaton Fire, has entered the race for the district’s District 1 seat on the Board of Education, which represents Northwest Altadena. She will appear on the ballot in the citywide general election set for Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Kealing is challenging incumbent Kimberly Kenne, who has held the District 1 seat since 2011. According to the Office of the City Clerk, both Kealing and Kenne were issued nomination papers in July for the District 1 contest. In materials distributed by her campaign, Kealing has said she filed her nomination papers July 29 and qualified for the ballot August 3; Kenne qualified earlier, in late July.

District 1 is one of four Pasadena Unified board seats on the November ballot, according to the City Clerk’s General Election 2026 notice, which lists Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7. The district serves Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre.

Kealing’s connection to the district is both personal and professional. In written responses provided to this newspaper, she said she is a PUSD graduate who was active in her high school’s marching band, performance choir, Associated Student Body, newspaper and yearbook staffs, and served as statistician for the boys’ varsity basketball team. She raised two sons in the district and has worked for years in community engagement tied to local education. Public and campaign records identify her as an assistant coordinator of marketing, student recruitment and community relations at Thurgood Marshall Secondary School.

Her candidacy is rooted in understanding and strength. Following personal loss in the Eaton Fire, where her home was destroyed, Kealing saw first hand how neighbors and community come together. This includes A GoFundMe fundraiser organized by a former student who stated, “Mrs. Kealing has touched the lives of so many students. She has always provided a listening ear, a smile of support, and challenged all of us to become better versions of ourselves” In her campaign announcement, distributed to local outlets, Kealing shared how this experience has reinforced her belief in the importance of schools as community hubs and the powerful impact of community support during a crisis.

In her written responses, Kealing said the recovery is central to her platform. “Our children deserve safe, modern, and accessible local schools,” she wrote, adding that her top priority would be “protecting and rebuilding Altadena’s educational infrastructure.” She said school buildings “must serve as anchors of stability, preventing further displacement of local families,” and named restoring Eliot Arts Magnet as a functional PUSD school site and upgrading Altadena Arts Magnet facilities among her specific goals.

Kealing also said she believes the board has not fully reckoned with the fire’s toll on families. “There is a profound disconnect between the school board dialogue and the daily reality of our community,” she wrote. She said some Altadena families have been displaced repeatedly since the fire and that “our schools must serve as an absolute anchor” during the upheaval.

Kealing brings a community-driven perspective to the board, rooted in decades of leadership and dedication to the community. She is a graduate of California State University, Los Angeles with a BA in Communications, she has consistently been at the forefront of district policy, shaping the future of education through her vital roles on the PUSD Strategic Plan Steering Committee, the Graduation Requirements Committee, and the LCAP Parent Advisory Council. Her profound commitment to equity and representation is reflected in her work as a founding member of the PUSD African American Parent Council (AAPC), while her executive capability shines through her extensive service on the Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) Board, including seven years on the Executive Board and three years as PEF Board President. Having walked the halls as an active parent volunteer and leader at Webster Elementary and Thurgood Marshall Secondary School prior to her professional employment, Kealing bridges the gap between administrative stewardship and the real, daily experiences of students and educators in the classroom.

Kealing plans to bring a collaborative approach to the PUSD Board. As one of seven board members, she understands that a trustee’s duty extends beyond the specific area that elected her. Her commitment is to governance that serves the entire PUSD community, including all students, teachers, and staff.

Kenne, the incumbent, was first elected to the board in 2011 and re-elected in 2013 and 2017, according to Pasadena Unified. A systems integration professional with a business degree from Georgetown University, she is a founding member of the Parent Education Network and has served a term on the California Practitioners Advisory Group, which advises the State Board of Education. Her official biography notes long involvement in Altadena education groups, including the Altadena Town Council’s education committee.

The race unfolds against a difficult backdrop for the district. Pasadena Unified has been engaged in a legal dispute with the City of Pasadena over post-Eaton Fire soil remediation work that involved removing protected trees; no evidence connects Kealing to that matter, which the next board will inherit. The district uses a plurality voting system, in which the candidate receiving the most votes wins.

Under the county elections calendar, the voter registration deadline is October 19, though California’s same-day registration allows eligible voters to register and vote through Election Day. Vote centers open October 24. Polls are open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on November 3.

For more, see https://www.healingwithkealing.com/