An embattled Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education, facing public scrutiny over its handling of the Eaton fire, an ongoing financial crisis and potential school mergers could be reshaped next month when three competitive trustee district go before voters.
Also see: Pasadena Star-News’ November 3, 2026 General Election Voter Guide
A fourth seat, District 5, would have been on the ballot, but the election was canceled due to only one qualified candidate, the incumbent Trustee Patrice Marshall McKenzie.
The current Board of Education has been split on whether school mergers are the path forward for a district facing steep declines in enrollment that are projected to continue into the future. A vote late last year that began the consolidation exploratory process was 4-3, with McKenzie, Jennifer Hall Lee and Michelle Richardson Bailey voting no.
That process, which divided the district community this past spring, eventually failed and led to Board President Tina Fredericks and Trustee Scott Harden facing recalls. Recall organizers have until Dec. 11 to collect signatures from 20% of eligible voters in the two districts.
This summer, trustees voted along the same 4-3 lines to begin a district transformation process.
Opponents claimed that the new process was consolidation dressed up in another name. So far, more supporters of right sizing PUSD have attended Board of Education meetings where the transformation process has been discussed.
How leadership plans to operate given the enrollment realities of PUSD continues to be a central issue for the community. Candidates in the three trustee districts responded to Pasadena Star-News questionnaires about how they would approach the issue if elected.
In District 1, incumbent Kim Kenne is facing the challenge of Felita Kealing.
Kenne said that district needs to have a conversation and make a plan about what the district will look like. She said it will involve trade-offs no matter what direction is taken.
“Given the number of students we currently have, that may mean having fewer schools,” Kenne said. “First we need to understand our current position, then use projections for students and finances to agree on what the future might look like. We should develop as many feasible options as possible and then look at the pros/cons of each and select the solution that works for the most students.”
Kealing committed to bringing an open, meaningful and community-centered discussion to school merger discussions. She said transformation cannot happen in isolation and demands transparency from decision makers and buy-in from all stakeholders in the district.
“To ensure the right outcome for our children, our strategy must combine hard quantitative data with real, qualitative community experiences,” Kealing said. “Furthermore, leadership must honor our history. As your board member, I will ensure we look directly at the decisions and lessons of previous Board cohorts, allowing past insights to heavily guide, next steps.”
In trustee District 3, incumbent Michelle Richardson Bailey faces Veronica Elias on the ballot.
Richardson Bailey said her goal is not to close schools, but to sustain a strong, equitable PUSD for the students and communities the district serves. She said a school is more than a building, it is the heart of a neighborhood and a source of stability for students.
“I am committed to examining every realistic alternative before considering closure, including administrative efficiencies, responsible use of facilities, enrollment-recovery strategies, partnerships, and advocacy for adequate state funding,” Richardson Bailey said. “However, the Board also has a responsibility to protect the district’s long-term fiscal health. If closures or consolidation become necessary, I would insist on a transparent, community-driven process that centers students, minimizes disruption, preserves program quality, and gives affected families and employees meaningful support.”
Elias said that school closures are never a good outcome and that they disrupt communities creating lasting consequences for students, families and staff. Given PUSD’s situation, Elias does not think closures can be ruled out entirely. She did however call them a last resort and not the district’s starting point.
“Before supporting any future closure or consolidation, I would require an independent audit to identify potential savings in administrative and central-office spending,” Elias said. “The district must also establish clear leadership, timelines, and accountability for recovering enrollment, strengthening student recruitment, and addressing chronic absenteeism. Each directly affects funding and requires a transparent, measurable strategy.”
District 7 will see a new representative on the Board of Education as incumbent Yarma Velázquez did not seek reelection. Dennis McNamara and Cynthia Torres are running to fill the District 7 seat.
McNamara said the transformation process the district has followed is “exactly backward.” He said while school closures/mergers might be right for the district because of the excess capacity at many schools, the better process includes creating a true master plan.
The master plan would factor in actual and projected enrollment, curriculum, experiences and services, optimal class sizes and funding availability.
“Presumably that analysis will guide us to a narrow range of schools needed for TK-5, 6-8, and 9-12, with room for some variation on that model,” McNamara said. “Then we need to examine our current footprint and the money required to bring each school up to modern standards. Ideally, we would consider the alternative value of each school site in terms of potential revenue generation.”
Torres said she has not seen an analysis on the district’s previous 11 school closures since 1989 that demonstrate the savings that resulted from the closures. She pointed to a Stanford University study that found that savings from school closures may be less than what is expected.
She said that the millions in cuts made to the district’s budget means “the District does not appear to be under the same intense pressure now to close schools.”
“In the aftermath of the Eaton fire, this is not the right time to pursue school closures,” Torres said. “Instead, let us focus on determining community priorities and develop a plan that reflects the realities of enrollment, expenses, and available resources.”