Editor’s Note: This article originally contained a serious error, which has been removed. The original version stated that the “district has acknowledged violating the Brown Act after discussing potential school closures,” which is not true. The district was accused of violating the Brown Act, nothing more. We sincerely regret this mistake.
The nomination period for candidates seeking seats on the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education is underway, with several prospective candidates already pulling nomination papers for the Nov. 3 general election.
Nomination papers became available Monday at the Pasadena City Clerk’s Office for four Board of Education seats representing Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7. Candidates have until 5 p.m. Aug. 7 to circulate nomination petitions and file the required paperwork.
According to the City Clerk’s Office, as of Tuesday afternoon, incumbents Kimberly Kenne and Patrice Marshall McKenzie pulled papers in Districts 1 and 5 respectively.
Michelle Richardson Bailey is expected to pull papers to defend her seat in District 3.
Felita R. Kealing has pulled papers to challenge Kene, and Veronica Elias had pulled papers for the District 3 race.
No one has pulled papers in District 7, where sitting board member Yarma Velazquez has announced she will not seek re-election.
The school board race comes as Pasadena Unified continues to face heightened public scrutiny over several high-profile controversies.
The district remains embroiled in a legal dispute with the city over its post-Eaton Fire soil remediation project, which includes plans to remove nearly 200 trees.
City officials contend the district violated Pasadena’s Tree Protection Ordinance by removing protected trees without required permits, prompting stop-work orders, an inspection warrant and ongoing litigation, while PUSD maintains the work is required under state oversight to remove contaminated soil and safely reopen campuses.
Candidates who have been issued nomination papers are not officially on the ballot until they complete the filing process, including gathering the required voter signatures and qualifying with the City Clerk.
If an incumbent in any of the four districts chooses not to seek re-election or fails to qualify for the ballot, the nomination period for that office will be extended through 5 p.m. Aug. 12.
The City Clerk’s Office is also hosting two identical candidate workshops to explain filing requirements, election procedures and campaign finance regulations. The first workshop was held Monday morning, with a second scheduled for Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the Rose Conference Room at Pasadena City Hall.
The election calendar also includes several important campaign finance deadlines. Beginning Aug. 5, candidates who receive contributions of $1,000 or more from a single source must report those contributions within 24 hours. That reporting requirement remains in effect through Election Day.
The filing period for write-in candidates runs from Sept. 7 through Oct. 20.
Candidates must file their first pre-election campaign finance statement by Sept. 24, covering activity from July 1 through Sept. 19. A second statement, covering Sept. 20 through Oct. 17, is due Oct. 22.
Vote-by-mail ballot requests begin Oct. 5, when Los Angeles County starts mailing ballots. Applications for vote-by-mail ballots must be received by Oct. 27.
The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 19, although California’s same-day voter registration process allows eligible voters to register and cast a ballot at any Los Angeles County Vote Center through Election Day.
Vote Centers will open for in-person voting Oct. 24 and remain open through Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
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