Want to decide who to vote for in the LA School Board election? Read candidates' answers to our survey

UPDATED — On May 16, voters in both west Los Angeles and in the east San Fernando Valley will head to the polls to elect two members to five-and-a-half-year terms on the L.A. Unified School District seven-person school board.

Scroll down to see the candidates' responses to KPCC's survey on major issues, but first, here's some answers to basic questions about the primary election.

• How does this election work? This is a runoff election for two seats in which no candidate won a majority in a March 7 primary vote. The top two candidates from that primary election are now squaring off in this runoff.
• Can I vote in this election? It depends on where you live; each L.A. Unified School Board seat represents a specific geographic area, or "board district." Seats in District Four and Six are up for election.  Plug in your address here to find out if you can vote. (The board member in District Two won a majority of the vote in the primary, securing her re-election.)
• How can I register to vote? Here's a website where you can begin the registration process, and here's another website where you can check whether you're already registered.

Ahead of the March 7 primary, KPCC submitted a survey to each of the L.A. Unified School Board candidates. We asked them a range of questions, from the superintendent's performance to their feelings on the district's budget, charter schools and school choice. Click on the candidate's name below to see the responses we received.

(Though only two candidates in District Four and District Six advanced, for posterity's sake, we're still including links to the responses sent to us by the candidates who did not make the May 16 runoff.)

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Board District Four

(Venice, Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Hollywood, portions of Encino, Tarzana and other neighborhoods in the southwest San Fernando Valley.) (map)

Advanced to the May 16 runoff:

• Nick Melvoin
• Steve Zimmer (incumbent)

Did not advance to the runoff: Allison Holdorff Polhill, Greg Martayan

Board District Six

(East San Fernando Valley neighborhoods east of the 405 Freeway, including Sunland-Tujunga and Lakeview Terrace; and some areas west of the 405, such as Lake Balboa.) (map)

Advanced to the May 16 runoff:

• Kelly Gonez
• Imelda Padilla

Did not advance to the runoff: Patty Lopez, Araz Parseghian, Gwendolyn Posey, Jose Sandoval

Board District Two

(Koreatown, Downtown, Chinatown, El Sereno, Boyle Heights, East L.A.) (map)

Re-elected, earning a majority of votes and avoiding a May 16 runoff: Mónica García (incumbent)

Did not advance to the runoff: Lisa Alva, Carl Petersen