Pasadena City College’s Rosemead Campus to Close June 30

Pasadena City College announced Friday that its Rosemead satellite campus will close on June 30 after the El Monte Union High School District (EMUHSD) board failed to renew the lease during a Thursday board meeting.

The school board’s decision followed months of negotiations between PCC and EMUHSD, according to a statement from PCC. 

“This is a disappointing development, as the college had been meeting regularly with EMUHSD representatives to come to an agreement that would maintain our presence in this part of our district. Unfortunately, without an agreement to operate the satellite campus, the college will be ceasing operations at PCC Rosemead effective June 30,” the statement said.

PCC had occupied the Rosemead Boulevard property since October 2013 and offered more than 120 courses per semester at its peak. The campus has been instrumental in providing access to affordable and high-quality education for residents in the area, according to a PCC official.

The Rosemead campus’s classes scheduled for this summer and fall could be relocated to other sites or transition to virtual formats. PCC has told students only “class schedules and services are being reconfigured.”

The EMUHSD’s initial plan was to use the property to expand its adult education program and building new facilities for adult students with disabilities. However, a change in the school board’s majority in January led to a reconsideration of the lease renewal with PCC.

The reconsideration triggered controversy, as one of the board members, Esthela Torres de Siegrist, who also teaches at PCC, was accused of having a conflict of interest. A complaint was filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission, but no investigation was launched.

Torres de Siegrist abstained in the School Board’s voting on the matter.

The item did not receive a majority vote resulting in the failure of the board to move forward with renewal of the lease of the Rosemead campus during a special meeting held on Thursday, June 21. The lease amendment proposed to extend the current agreement, which is set to expire on June 30, 2023, to June 30, 2028.

PCC said it is actively searching for a new permanent location for the Rosemead campus as part of its commitment to serve all of Trustee Area 6, which includes portions of Arcadia, El Monte, Rosemead, San Gabriel, and Temple City.

“PCC remains committed to serving all areas of the district, and the search continues for a permanent home for PCC Rosemead,” the College said.