The public has had the opportunity to meet three of the four superintendent finalists. It was former Montgomery, Alabama superintendent Carlinda Purcell's turn last night.

Purcell had the misfortune of being booked on Halloween night, so turnout was not as strong as it was for fellow candidates Jean-Claude Brizard and Tim Mains. And the controversy surrounding her departure from Montgomery - and the leak to the media that virtually dragged her in front of the public - may have raised the bar particularly high for Purcell.

Compared to the first two candidates, Purcell had difficulty engaging the audience. While she answered nearly as many questions as Brizard and Mains, there were only a few moments when her responses sparked a connection. That's unfortunate, and a little surprising. At a meeting before the forum, she was much more personable.

The forums continue to attract an audience, but many of the faces are the same. Given the public outcry concerning the search process and meeting the candidates, attendance in general hasn't lived up to the urgency. Mayor Bob Duffy and City Council members have been noticeably absent.

School Board member Willa Powell says the candidates' performances in the forums have closely matched their interviews.

"There really haven't been any big surprises, except it has been interesting to see how the audience has responded to their individual charisma and qualifications," Powell says.

Tonight's featured candidate is Ingrid Carney, a senior administrator with the Boston school district. The forum is at East High School at 6 p.m. It is also being shown live on Channel 15, and comments can be sent to the city school board's Web site.�