The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education is scheduled to begin shaping a future, community-informed process that could lead to school consolidations or closure decisions when the board hears a two-part presentation and reviews related materials during tonight’s study session.
The two-part presentation, titled “Facilitated Discussion: Initiating the District Transformation Process (Resolution No. 2894),” lays out a road map for defining the process, identifying the information needed for later decisions, determining a deadline for a Board vote on school consolidations or closures, and considering a committee structure and membership for the next phase.
The session is designed to develop process and governance direction rather than make final consolidation or closure decisions.
Thursday night’s presentation calls for the Board to reflect on the previous school-consolidation process implemented over the years, develop a working definition of the District Transformation Process that identifies its components and intended outcomes, and identify the areas and datasets that should be considered before informed decisions are made.
The second part of the presentation turns to the scope and structure of the process ahead.
The Superintendent’s Leadership Team is expected to identify what additional clarity and context the Board should consider. Board members are scheduled to discuss when the Board should vote on school consolidation and identify a preferred committee structure to steward the process.
The committee is also intended to inform a community-engagement approach. The presentation asks Board members to weigh the strengths and possible challenges of committee options, including whether a structure could address concerns from the previous process and support the intended outcomes. The Board also will be asked which members are interested in serving on the committee.
A suggested agenda for the committee’s first meeting includes defining its scope of work, considering the removal of some schools from the potential closure list and scheduling community-engagement sessions to gather student and community input on values and vision.
The presentation identifies the Board as the sole decision-maker, while identifying the Superintendent’s Leadership Team as a supportive participant and implementer of Board decisions.
Facilitator Natalia Guerra of Collaborate PASadena is to guide the discussion, but will not advocate for policies or make decisions.
The presentation emphasizes student and community engagement, accessible language, active listening and reflection on the prior process. It also calls for a democratic dialogue in which each participant has equal voice.
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