Coronavirus Emergency Item, Budget Update on PUSD Agenda

In a proactive and precautionary move related to the worldwide novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Pasadena Unified School District school board on Thursday night is expected pass a resolution declaring “emergency conditions exist at Pasadena Unified School District” – one of two action items on the evening’s agenda.

The other item is the expected approval of the district’s “second interim” budget update for the 2019-2020 school year, an expected formality in which the district certifies it “will meet its obligations in the current fiscal year and for the two subsequent fiscal years.”

The public portion of the board’s meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at PUSD headquarters at 351 S. Hudson Ave. The PUSD has canceled all manner of events involving large gatherings as a safeguard against COVID-19 spread, but as of Wednesday, the board meeting was still on.

There have been no reported cases of coronavirus in Pasadena, and the board’s “emergency” resolution does not reflect any new dangers in PUSD schools.

Rather, according to the resolution, it would “authorize the superintendent and/or his designee to take any and all actions necessary to ensure the continuation of public education, and the health and safety of the students and staff at the district sites including but not limited to: the relocation of students and staff, continued daily student transportation, provision of alternative educational program options, directing staff to serve as disaster service workers … and/or make alterations, repairs or improvements to school property.’’

According to school-board President Patrick Cahalan, “During emergencies or public health crisis moments the need to follow the process requires a Superintendent to call an emergency meeting to approve several types of actions that may be necessary in the upcoming weeks, from reassigning of personnel from one site to another, to signing a contract for an outside cleaning company specializing in sanitizing possible biohazards, to closing a school under the advice of county health officials.

“To remove the possibility of red tape from delaying the response of the district, we are bringing forth a resolution empowering the Superintendent to take actions in response to the public health situation without waiting for Board approval. Of course we the Board will still be monitoring the actions of the district.’’

In regard to the budget, the board is expected to formalize a “positive” report to the county Office of Education, certifying it is meeting its financial obligations.

All districts are required, at least twice a year, to certify they can meet their financial obligations for the current fiscal year and, by projection, the next two fiscal years.

Pasadena submitted its first interim report on Dec. 15, and this next one is due by March 15. The second interim report shows revenue and expenditures through Jan. 31 and projected expenditures through June 30.

The report says the district, already beset by falling enrollment, expects to lose another 500 or so students next year.

The numbers also show $243 million-plus in expenditures and some $237 million in revenues, most from state sources. The difference in that deficit spending is covered within the general fund’s estimated $32 million, Scott Phelps, the school board’s vice president, told Pasadena Now.

Phelps said rising costs of special education (mandated by the state) and food services represented significant expenditure increases over the past two years.

Meeting its budget remains a challenge for the PUSD. In September, the board announced it would have to close the Franklin, Jefferson and Roosevelt elementary schools next year. Then in October, the school board announced the upcoming closure of Wilson Middle School.

Last week, the board signed off on 55 layoffs, mostly connected to those closures, including 44 teachers, four principals and one assistant principal.

“This budget has us meeting our required reserves in each of the next three years, subject to budget assumptions that are in line with county standards for approval,’’ said Cahalan.

“We are currently projecting a 500 student decline in enrollment, following the loss that we had at the start of the last two years from our projections. It’s a fairly conservative estimate in normal conditions, but with families getting priced out of Pasadena it is possible that we will come in below that number. It is, however, also possible that we will come in with more students than we are projecting, and if that occurs we will have to hire teachers at the start of August.’’

Cahalan also said, “It is always a hard balance to strike between site stability and fiscal responsibility. We also are working off of revenue assumptions, given that it is always possible for California to slip into a recession or for the governor’s proposed January budget to undergo changes before it is approved in June.

“Unfortunately, we have to forge ahead with our best estimates now, and trust in the state legislature to prioritize state spending sensibly.’’