Community engagement and building trust with families were recurring themes at the Albuquerque Public Schools candidate forum. Candidates described a mix of strategies — from town halls to biannual strategic‑plan audits and targeted outreach — to hear constituents and center decisions on student outcomes.

Brian Laurent Jr. and Joshua Martinez emphasized going to communities where parents are already gathered rather than expecting attendance at traditional forums: Martinez said, “we have to find new and different ways of communicating with parents, whether that be through social medias or, sporting events.” Brian highlighted tribal consultation and said tribal leaders must be heard.

Courtney Jackson described targeted efforts by the board’s community engagement committee to reach families who do not typically attend district events and said the board must “go out to the community; we don't expect you to come to us.” Danielle Gonzalez urged multi‑format outreach in multiple languages and prioritized engagement with Native families, English learners and families of students with disabilities.

Margaret Warrigia Bowman and Kristen Wood Hegner recommended community schools, skill‑based volunteer involvement in classrooms and employer partnerships to support families. Several candidates suggested biannual audits of the strategic plan as opportunities for community feedback and tracking progress.

Candidates framed engagement as essential to equitable decision‑making, not mere outreach. They signaled differences in emphasis — some focused on institutional systems and targeted outreach, others on grassroots listening and school‑level presence — but they agreed that active, ongoing engagement is a board priority.

No formal board directives were issued at the forum; candidates described engagement approaches they would back if elected. Realigning district practice would require staff work, budget allocation for engagement and consistent follow‑through by the superintendent and communications teams.