According to a spokesperson, the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) has not received any complaint against Pasadena’s Board of Education regarding potential legal action that could lead to litigation, causing the district to incur more debt.
LACOE threatened to take over the school district earlier this year amid a financial crisis and warned the district not to incur new debt.
Four school board members remain under fire for allegedly violating the state’s open meeting laws and for working with a consultant before the district had hired the firm to handle school closures.
According to emails obtained by a district parent and sent to news outlets, Pasadena Unified School District Board President Tina Fredericks and board members Scott Harden, Kim Kenne and Yarma Velázquez allegedly coordinated privately with consultants and one another ahead of the district’s public school consolidation process, prompting accusations they violated California’s Ralph M. Brown Act.
Several parents told Pasadena Now they planned to complain about to LACOE about the incident.
LACOE did not speak to that matter, and instead told Pasadena Now that LACOE has already implemented heightened oversight to ensure the district adheres to their fiscal stabilization plan.
“We meet with them almost weekly to discuss various fiscal-related topics and consult with them on best practices,” said LACOE Public Information Officer Van Nguyen. “Their board has demonstrated their commitment; they have implemented the required reductions in force, identified reductions in contracted services, formed a budget committee comprised of various educational partners and developed a school site consolidation committee. They also hired a qualified chief business official, who will officially join the team on July 1.”
Nguyen said LACOE is optimistic with executive leadership and by the demonstrated commitment of the board that they will steward the fiscal recovery of the district.
LACOE will continue to guide and support the district through their fiscal recovery.
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