School Board Unanimously Approves Employment Contract With Dr. Elizabeth J. Blanco As District Superintendent

The new Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent will get a higher base salary than her predecessor, according to her contract.

At its May 23 meeting, the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education unanimously approved Dr. Elizabeth J. Blanco’s employment agreement, which includes a base salary of $346,782.

Her predecessor Brian McDonald’s contract with the District provided a base salary of $265,000.

McDonald resigned in June, 2023. On April 27, the Board announced the selection of Blanco to serve as the new permanent Superintendent.

According to the agreement, Blanco‘s term starts on July 1, 2024 and ends on June 30, 2027.

The agreement is subject to annual extension based upon satisfactory evaluation of performance.

Blanco‘s contract includes a life insurance policy worth $500,000, a $400 monthly auto allowance, reimbursement for lodging expenses up to 12 nights a year, and payment of the annual membership dues of two stated professional organizations and others approved by the Board.

In the same meeting, the Board also approved the three-year contracts with Chief Human Resources Officer Dr. Sergio Canal, which provides a base salary of $248,595 and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Helen Chan Hill, which includes a base salary of $248,595.

Board President Kimberly Kenne expressed concerns about the contracts.

“I just want to express my concerns about the raises for our chiefs,” said Kenne. “We know that we’ve been trying to make up for some of our employee groups being underpaid compared to the general market. I think these raises were a little aggressive for this group.”

“We do know we have the school issues and we know that people are very sensitive to how different employee groups are compensated,” Kenne added.

Board member Yarma Velázquez also expressed concerns about the contracts.

“I strongly support the process that differentiates the need of the positions so just each position is equally, percentage wise, competitive in terms of compensation,” Velázquez said. “It did not sit well with me to highlight just three people in the entire District and treat those three differently.”

Blanco has over 30 years of experience in public education.

She has served as Interim Superintendent since July 2023; Deputy Superintendent, the District’s second-highest role, since 2022; as Chief Academic Officer from 2018-2021; and Chief of Specialized Instructional Services from 2017-2018. She was previously the District’s Executive Director of Special Education Local Plan Area, Special Education and Early Childhood from 2009-2012.

Dr. Blanco was Chief of Special Education Services and the Division of Instruction, Innovation, and Social Justice in the San Francisco Unified School District from 2012-2017. She began her career in education as a classroom teacher in the Rowland Unified School District.

She holds a Doctor of Education in Urban Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California, two Master of Arts degrees in Educational Administration and Special Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development from California State University, Los Angeles.