Pasadena Unified To Welcome Students Back at More Schools and Programs Monday In Second Phase of Reopenings

Today, Pasadena Unified will welcome about 1,670 TK-5th grade students back to four elementary schools and one children’s program during the second phase of school reopenings following the Eaton Fire.

The reopenings will bring the total number of students back in classrooms to 5,070 since the wildfire shut down District operations.

Field Elementary School, Washington Elementary STEM Magnet, Madison Elementary, and Norma Coombs Elementary will reopen their doors, along with the Children’s Center on the Jefferson campus.

This follows the reopening of Alma Fuerte, a charter school located on the Cleveland campus, which resumed operations on Friday, January 24.

The District’s phased approach began on January 23, when ten schools and programs across six campuses — those located furthest from the fire — reopened after completing extensive cleaning, sanitizing, and passing environmental tests. These initial reopenings brought more than 3,400 students back to their classrooms in the first phase.

Before any facility can reopen, it must undergo extensive cleaning and sanitizing and pass environmental tests. Pasadena Unified School District is implementing these strict safety protocols in consultation with public health agencies, collaborating with the California Office of Emergency Services, the California Department of Education, and Los Angeles County to ensure safe conditions for returning students.

The District aims to complete all school reopenings by January 30. School communities will receive at least 24 hours’ notice before their scheduled return date.