A faint chant could be heard Tuesday from inside the Pasadena Unified School District headquarters, where the school consolidation advisory committee had just begun its latest meeting.
It grew louder as a group of protesters rallying against the closing of PUSD schools marched down Oak Knoll Avenue. Those inside the meeting could clearly hear the message, “Save our schools!”
More than 50 people stood along Del Mar Boulevard outside the district headquarters just before the start of the fourth meeting of the 33-member Superintendent’s School Consolidation Advisory Committee. The majority of parents and students who gathered wore Thurgood Marshall Secondary School gear.
They held signs with messages like, “Fewer schools = fewer opportunities,” and “No school closures.” Cheers went up among the group any time a car honked its horn in support as it passed.
In addition to the common refrain of “Save our schools!” protesters chanted, “Closures hurt kids!”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Marshall was one of the schools still being considered for closure. Other schools that remained on the list ahead of Tuesday’s meeting included Blair High School, Altadena Arts Magnet, Field Elementary, Longfellow Magnet, San Rafael Elementary, Washington STEM Magnet, Webster Elementary, Willard Elementary, Don Benito Elementary, Hamilton Elementary, Norma Coombs Elementary, Eliot Arts Magnet and McKinley School.
Denise Robb, PTSA president at Blair High School, held a sign that read “Save all PUSD schools.”
Robb highlighted a number of programs at Blair that could be at risk if the school closed, including International Baccalaureate, JROTC, dual language Spanish immersion and the Armenian Academy.
“I guess they want to have a school with 4,000 kids,” Robb said of consolidating high schools.
Tension and frustration with the process has been building since the Board of Education voted in January to explore consolidation through a $233,300 contract with a third-party firm.
During the meeting, consultant Joseph Pandolfo with Total School Solutions walked the committee through district demographic data by school. Demographics are one of several factors that guide the school consolidation process.
The data covered ethnicity as well as sub groups like English learners, foster youth, homeless youth, students with disabilities and socioeconomically disadvantaged students.
Following small group discussion time, the full committee reconvened and set up their chairs in a circle. Instead of going over their thoughts on the data presented Tuesday, several committee members voiced their concerns about the process and the way their work was leading to fear among the district community.
Pandolfo said the initial intention was to have the committee members vote following the meeting on what schools to remove from consideration for closure.
Suggestions from committee members included waiting to receive all data points before making a decision, being more clear on the messaging to the public, looking at historical data about the impact of past consolidations and getting more guidance from the consultant on how to assess the raw data being presented.
The consensus of the committee was to change the set course of meeting schedules and instead of voting have the consultant return at the next meeting with consolidation scenarios for consideration based on the consultant’s analysis of the data.
Committee members will still be presented with the metrics independent of the consultant’s analysis and scenarios.
“Basically, we would come back with different options that based on our experience would be logical for consolidation and then the committee can take it from there,” Pandolfo said.
Following Tuesday’s meeting, three more committee meetings remain before the group potentially sends its recommendations to the Board of Education, which will ultimately make the final decision on any closures and consolidation.
The day began with the district holding the first of two town halls about the consolidation process. District officials and Pandolfo fielded questions from the community in the virtual town hall setting.
Officials repeatedly reminded the public that no decisions had been made on consolidation. Questions from the public focused on the impact to students and their mental health, what consolidated sites could be used for, maintaining the diversity of the district and what costs would be cut if PUSD were to consolidate schools.
At last week’s Board of Education meeting, dozens of speakers representing a swath of PUSD schools spoke during public comment urging the trustees to not close their school.
Consolidation comes as the district seeks ways to stem the tide of declining enrollment, dwindling federal and state funding and a multimillion-dollar structural deficit that has let to major cuts.
The committee has already deemed safe from closure Sierra Madre Elementary, Madison Elementary, Mary W. Jackson Steam, CIS Academy, John Muir High School, Pasadena High School, Rose City High School, Sierra Madre Middle School and Octavia E. Butler Magnet, a decision that prompted questions about the the process among many parents and stakeholders.
At the town hall earlier in the day, community leader Eric Johnson was a soundboard for community concerns, asking questions to the panel. Johnson, associate director of Stars, a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting Pasadena-area youth with educational programs and mentors, asked about the impact to students and their mental health in the event of consolidation: what would possible consolidated sights be used for, maintaining the diversity of the district if schools are consolidated, and what costs would be cut if PUSD were to consolidate, among others.
A longtime Altadena resident, Johnson echoed many of the concerns Eaton fire victims shared at the most recent Board of Education meeting, including the potential impact of further traumatizing a still-recovering area, if schools were to be closed.
Earlier in the week, responding to a steady stream of concern over closures voiced at the Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said she was sensitive to the impacts of closure, particularly on a district still reeling from the Eaton fire.
“My heart goes out to so many who are continuing to be impacted by last year’s Eaton Fire,” she said in a statement to the Star-News. “At Thursday’s board meeting, we heard from students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members who spoke with passion and honesty about their schools. PUSD continues to offer social-emotional support, and we encourage anyone who needs it to reach out.”
She reiterated that no decisions have been made about school consolidation (though the committee did decide on what schools wouldn’t be closed).
“This is the beginning of the process that intentionally brings in the voices of our district from the committee that reflects our community, to upcoming town halls and other opportunities for input before any recommendations are presented to the board,” she said. “We are committed to moving forward with care, listening closely to our community, and keeping our focus on our students, their well-being, and their success.”
The next committee meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. April 13. Any potential closures and consolidations will take effect in the 2027-2028 school year.
Correspondent Victoria Ivie contributed to this report.