POWAY -- Voters have at least three opportunities to meet the candidates for the Poway Unified School District Board of Trustees, and find out where they stand on issues such as financial, academic and enrollment challenges.

The Poway Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego North Chamber of Commerce and the Palomar Council of the Parent Teachers Association are hosting election forums at various locations during the next four weeks, running up to the Nov. 7 election.

Three of the five board seats are up for grabs with six contenders, who are all expected to participate in the forums starting Tuesday.

School board President Penny Ranftle and Vice President Jeff Mangum are both running for a fourth term. Trustee Steve McMillan said he is stepping down after 12 years because his children have all graduated from the district.

The four other candidates include Todd Gutschow, a retired business executive; John Ramirez, a securities broker; Elmer Gonzales Vigilia, a resource specialist for the San Diego Unified School District; and T.J. Zane, a small-business owner.

Issues in the 34-school district include the financial challenges of the districtwide building project, the drawing of new school boundaries, unbalanced enrollment, achievement gaps between student subgroups and the federal sanctions Valley Elementary School is facing due to failing test scores.

The Poway district is operating on a $240 million budget this fiscal year. Trustees establish policies for a district that serves more than 33,000 students in Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, Carmel Mountain Ranch and Sabre Springs. They serve a four-year term and receive a monthly stipend of $750.

The Poway Chamber of Commerce is holding the first forum, in conjunction with Pomerado Publishing, at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The lunch forum will be held at the city library, 13362 Poway Road.

Organizers say the purpose of the forum is to give the public an opportunity to meet the school board candidates and ask them questions about their related experience, community involvement and school issues they want to address.

Each candidate will give a brief introduction and answer questions written by the chamber.

"Some of the questions have been designed to address business issues in Poway," said Toni Kraft, the chamber's president and chief executive officer. "But mostly how the candidates feel they are best for the school board."

The lunch forum costs $10 at the door. Organizers are asking people to call (858) 748-0016 to reserve a space. For more information, visit www.poway.com.

Two days later, the Palomar Council PTA will hold its forum from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Carmel Mt. Ranch/Sabre Springs Recreation Center, 10152 Rancho Carmel Drive.

The forum will be moderated by the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization that seeks to keep voters informed and get politically active.

Each candidate will provide a short opening and closing statement with one-minute responses to written questions from the audience in between. Organizers say the forum is open to all.

"The questions will be driven by who's in the audience," said event organizer Lorene Joosten. "Even people who don't have children in the Poway Unified system should still be concerned about how the district is governed."

For more information on the PTA forum, contact Lorene Joosten at ljoosten@san.rr.com or (858) 538-1390, or contact Linda Cialeo at lindashaus@aol.com or (858) 335-7133.

The San Diego North Chamber of Commerce, formerly the Rancho Bernardo Chamber of Commerce, is hosting the forum on Nov. 2. The time and location are still being finalized.

The chamber represents business owners from south Escondido to Miramar Road and from Poway to Interstate 805.

Gary Powers, the chamber's president and chief executive officer, said this forum will give voters a final opportunity to get some last minute questions answered.

"Hopefully people will be at the final stage of deciding who they are going to vote for on the following Tuesday," he said. "And (the forum) will be fresh in their mind."

Powers said the chamber has asked Superintendent Don Phillips for the top issues he is facing over the next five years. The candidate questions will be based on his response.

"It's not really a debate," he said. "We just want to know what the candidates think."

For updated information, call (858) 487-1767 or www.sdncc.com.

Contact staff writer Adrienne A. Aguirre at (760) 740-3526 or aaguirre@nctimes.com.

Poway School Board

Election Forums

Poway Chamber of Commerce

11:30 a.m. Tuesday

City library, 13362 Poway Rd.

$10 for lunch

RSVP (858) 748-0016

www.poway.com

Palomar Council PTA

7 p.m. Thursday

Carmel Mt. Ranch/Sabre Springs

Recreation Center

10152 Rancho Carmel Dr.

(858) 538-1390 or (858) 335-7133

San Diego North Chamber of Commerce

Nov. 2. Time and location to be announced.

(858) 487-1767 or www.sdncc.com.