Post-Wildfire School Plan, Bond Oversight Top PUSD Board Agenda Thursday

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education will consider a plan Thursday outlining safety requirements before Altadena Arts Magnet School can return to its home campus following January’s devastating Eaton Fire.

The meeting, scheduled for March 27 at the Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room, will address three important matters: the post-wildfire recovery plan, an oversight consolidation proposal for school bonds totaling over $1.4 billion, and a mid-year academic performance update.

Resolution 2811 establishes conditions for reopening Altadena Arts Magnet, which was spared direct fire damage but remains surrounded by approximately 75 burned properties within 250 yards of the campus.

“Dozens of families and staff from Altadena Arts Magnet School lost their homes or were displaced as a result of the Eaton fire,” according to the resolution, which calls the wildfire “the second most destructive in California history, destroying over 9,000 homes and buildings.” The school subsequently saw the highest number of student withdrawals in the District post-fire.

The District’s resolution would mandate that Phase 2 cleanup by Los Angeles County health officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must be completed within 250 yards of the campus before students can return. Until then, Altadena Arts students will continue attending classes at Allendale Elementary in Pasadena.

The plan also requires regular public updates, directing that cleanup progress and testing results be posted on the District website to keep parents and staff informed. The resolution further urges PUSD to work with local officials to create a clear, drivable route to the Altadena campus “cleared of distressing wreckage” to facilitate a safe return.

The Board will also vote on Resolution 2810, which would consolidate the oversight of two major school bond measures. The proposal would task the existing Measure O Citizens’ Oversight Committee with also monitoring the recently passed Measure R, a $900 million facilities bond approved in 2024.

“The Board finds it in the best interest of the District and most administratively efficient to consolidate oversight of both Measure O and Measure R under one Committee,” the draft resolution states.

The combined oversight would monitor expenditures for both bond measures, which together provide more than $1.4 billion for campus repairs, new construction, technology, safety upgrades and other initiatives.

Additionally, Thursday’s meeting will see District staff present a mid-year update on PUSD’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), highlighting progress in student outcomes. According to agenda documents, chronic absenteeism among African-American students has decreased by 2.4% over the past year, while English Language Arts and math scores for that student group improved by approximately 3.9 and 9.4 points, respectively.

The presentation will also review budget figures, including approximately $192.6 million in base state funding supporting District goals this year.

The meeting begins with closed session at 4:00 p.m. followed by open session at 6:45 p.m. at 351 S. Hudson Ave. Click here to access the full board agenda.