Eaton Fire Survivors Face Budget Cuts, Class Size Spikes at Pasadena Unified Schools

Nearly ten months after the Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena, displaced families are confronting a second crisis: mid-year teacher transfers that have ballooned class sizes to 36 students and dismantled specialized programs at the very schools serving fire survivors.

A coalition of parents from five Northwest Pasadena schools submitted a resolution Thursday night demanding a three-year moratorium on involuntary teacher reassignments and class size increases. But their plea collided with harsh fiscal reality — the district must cut $30-35 million from its budget, and Los Angeles County Office of Education officials warned the school board that any action restricting staffing flexibility could trigger a state takeover.

“9,000 homes vanished overnight, and every day I take my kids a different way to school so I don’t have to drive down Lincoln and look at the shell of what used to be in our neighborhood,” said Matt Schneider, a Jackson Elementary parent representing the coalition. “The last thing we should be doing as a public school district is talking about what we can do to get away with less for our kids.”

The September teacher reassignments hit hardest at schools already reeling from the January fire. At Jackson Elementary, fifth-grade teacher Maureen Noble’s class jumped from 26 to 36 students in one week.

At Altadena Arts Magnet, the removal of one English teacher forced two remaining educators to teach combination third-fourth grade classes in both French and English — effectively covering four grade levels and two languages simultaneously.

“36 students is too many,” Noble told the board. “Teaching content, managing transitions, grading and giving feedback, meeting in small groups, building relationships with my students and helping them build relationships with each other, meeting their complex academic and emotional needs in all the ways that I’m expected to do requires a gargantuan effort that is, I’m sorry to report, unsustainable.”

Margaret Dewitt, whose children attend the French dual-language immersion program at Altadena Arts, said the district failed to recognize the specialized nature of the transferred teacher’s position. That teacher had been teaching both grade levels in both languages, but only during 50% of the instructional day. Now the remaining instructor teaches both grade levels in both languages — effectively doing two full-time positions.

“Now we have one teacher for both languages, both grade levels, effectively doing two full-time positions,” Dewitt said. “The class is overfilled, there’s no instructional aides, and we have parents being asked to come in and help teach core subjects.”

The coalition’s resolution would prohibit involuntary teacher transfers and class size increases at fire-impacted campuses — Jackson STEAM Elementary, Altadena Arts Magnet, Elliot Arts Magnet Academy, Octavia E. Butler Middle School and Washington STEM Elementary — through June 2028. The Altadena Town Council reportedly formally endorsed the proposal.

But LA County Office of Education Director of Business Advisory Services Octavio Castelo delivered a stark warning: any board action establishing a moratorium must first undergo comprehensive fiscal analysis or risk triggering mandatory state intervention.

“The Pasadena Unified School District is currently updating its fiscal stabilization plan, a critical roadmap towards restoring and maintaining long-term fiscal health,” Castelo said. “Without a comprehensive fiscal impact assessment, including enrollment projections, staffing costs and funding implications, this resolution may significantly undermine the district’s ongoing stabilization efforts.”

Under state law, if the county superintendent determines the district cannot meet financial obligations for the current and two subsequent fiscal years, the county can impose budget revisions, expenditure controls or assign a fiscal advisor or trustee.

Castelo called these “not discretionary” but “statutory obligations designed to safeguard the educational and fiscal integrity of your district.”

District officials said following the collective bargaining agreement this year on voluntary and involuntary transfers saved approximately $1 million. Dr. Sergio Canal, the district’s chief human resources officer, explained that not making the reassignments would have cost the district that amount.

Parents counter that the district risks losing far more revenue if displaced families — many still living in Burbank, Glendale and La Cañada — choose those districts’ schools instead. Three students have already left Altadena Arts since the English teacher was removed, and families noted they now see advertisements for La Cañada schools appearing on their phones.

“We’re trying to protect the district from additional financial problems as well,” Schneider said. “We understand that one of the biggest problems we face is declining enrollment, and if we drive families away from the district by gutting dual-language programs, by gutting schools, we are going to have bigger financial problems in 3, 4, 5 years.”

Board members expressed sympathy but wrestled with competing pressures. Trustee Tina Frederick proposed an alternative approach: rather than a moratorium, direct the superintendent to improve enrollment projections by spring to minimize future mid-year transfers. Trustee Michelle Richardson Bailey raised concerns about setting a precedent and potentially violating collective bargaining agreements.

“Situations like this are symptoms of the crisis we’re in,” said Trustee Scott Harden. “I think that we want stability for our children, for all children in PUSD, and so that’s a value. But I also think communication is important. Transparency is important, honesty is important.”

The board took no action Thursday night, leaving the resolution as a discussion item. Frederick said she would introduce a revised resolution at a future meeting focused on improving enrollment data systems rather than restricting transfers.

Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco defended the district’s enrollment projections, noting staff accurately predicted a loss of 500 students this year. She said the district tried to accommodate fire-affected families by extending open enrollment deadlines, which may have contributed to staffing uncertainty.

“You’re asking me to stabilize an unpredictable situation,” Blanco told the board. “We have an unstable budget situation. We have an unstable environmental situation with our community. We will continue to do our very best.”

The district faces additional challenges beyond the immediate budget cuts. The board is developing a fiscal stabilization plan that LA County must approve, with the first interim budget report due in December. Board meetings in November will focus almost exclusively on identifying which programs and positions to eliminate.

Parents said they understand the district’s fiscal constraints but argued fire-impacted schools deserve special consideration during the recovery period.

“60% of our families were affected by the Eaton Fire. Many are still displaced, and these families cannot endure more disruption,” said a parent at Octavia E. Butler Middle School. “You cannot claim equity while dismantling the various schools that serve those who need stability the most.”

The January 2025 Eaton Fire ranks as the second-largest fire in California history. It destroyed entire neighborhoods in Altadena and damaged or destroyed multiple school facilities.