Pasadena Unified board to discuss ‘desired outcomes’ for key consolidation panel

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education today will use a special meeting to attempt to clearly define what success means for the forthcoming Superintendent’s School Consolidation Advisory Committee.

Last month, trustees voted 5-2 to approve a contract with a third-party consultant to explore school closure or consolidation in response to years of declining enrollment that has fueled the ongoing district financial crisis.

The committee, guided by the consultant, will play a key role in deciding what schools could close.

Applications for the consolidation advisory committee closed Monday with its first of seven scheduled meeting set for Feb. 23. The meetings will culminate with the committee recommending school closures, if any, to the Board of Education in May.

In addition to committee meetings, the district will conduct a community survey, hold two town hall meetings and provide updates at Board of Education meetings.

The Board of Education has the final decision on whether to move forward with any consolidation scenarios.

That decision is scheduled to be made at the June 25 meeting. Any potential school consolidation would take effect for the 2027-2028 school year.

Today’s meeting, according to the board’s agenda, will center around the need to “define and develop desired outcomes and related factors to inform the work of the Superintendent Consolidation Advisory Committee.” Today’s meeting comes less than a week after more than 300 PUSD teachers, staff, students and parents held a rally at Pasadena City Hall against $24.5 million in cuts to school-based services approved by the Board of Education last year.

The cuts will apply to the 2026-2027 fiscal year budget and part of a long-term effort to address financial troubles brought about by declining enrollment, deficit spending, expiration of one-time COVID-19 relief dollars, rising costs and uncertainty in state and federal funding.