PUSD School Board Candidate Town Hall 

Proposed for Mid-October 2026

PEA is exploring the possibility of hosting a PUSD School Board Candidate Town Hall in mid-October to give our community an opportunity to hear directly from the individuals seeking to represent them on the PUSD Board of Trustees. The purpose of the Town Hall is simple: give voters an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates so they can make the decision they believe is right for themselves, their families, their schools, and their community. All eligible incumbents and challengers will be invited and provided the same opportunity to participate.

Our Goal

We want to create a fair, respectful, and neutral public forum where candidates can discuss their perspectives on issues affecting PUSD students, families, employees, schools, and the broader community. This event is intended to provide information—not tell members of the public how they should vote. Voters should have the opportunity to listen, compare perspectives, and reach their own conclusions.

Ensuring Neutrality and Credibility

To strengthen the credibility of the Town Hall, we would seek to have both the venue and moderator independent of PEA.

We are seeking:

• A neutral community location that is accessible to the public.

• An independent, third-party facilitator or moderator who is not affiliated with PEA or any candidate.

• A structured format that provides equal speaking time and equal opportunities to respond for every participating candidate.

• Questions that address issues important to students, parents, employees, and community members.

• An event that is open to the public.

Porterville College could be approached as a potential neutral location and possibly as a resource for identifying an independent moderator. Other possibilities could include a civic organization, community organization, educational organization, or respected nonpartisan community leader.

Proposed Town Hall Rules

The rules and format should be established before invitations are sent to candidates so that everyone knows the expectations in advance.

The proposed rules would include:

• The same questions and opportunities to respond for all candidates.

• Clearly established time limits for responses.

• No candidate-to-candidate interruptions.

• A neutral third-party moderator responsible for enforcing the rules.

• Equal treatment of incumbents and challengers.

• A clearly defined process for submitting, reviewing, and selecting audience questions.

• Questions focused on issues relevant to PUSD and the responsibilities of a school board trustee.

• No campaigning or preferential treatment by the moderator or event organizers during the forum.

Establishing these rules beforehand will help protect the fairness and credibility of the Town Hall, even if one or more invited candidates ultimately decline to participate.

Our Commitment

PEA's role would be to help create the opportunity for the conversation to take place—not to control the conversation. Every eligible candidate and incumbent will receive the same invitation, the same rules, the same amount of speaking time, and the same opportunity to address the community. Ultimately, the decision belongs to the voters. Our goal is to provide the forum. The candidates provide their perspectives. The community decides.