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Pasadena Unified considers final public input on school closures
Outside one of Don Benito Fundamental School's classrooms. It is one of a handful of elementary schools within PUSD that's been recommended to close.
(
Mariana Dale
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LAist
)
Pasadena Unified will hear from the public Tuesday night as it considers plans to close and consolidate several schools within the district.
The campus closures are in response to declining enrollment that has left PUSD with a budget deficit that recent layoffs have not solved.
What’s happening
Parents and community members will hear from the School Consolidation Advisory Committee (SCAC) about its recommendations for which schools should be closed or consolidated.
It is the second of two town halls offered by the district. The first one was virtual.
There will be a public comment portion for attendees to give their input on the recommendations presented.
Which schools are in danger?
The advisory committee recommended a handful of schools be closed.
For TK through 8th grade, the recommended closures include Don Benito Fundamental School, Webster Elementary and Norma Coombs Elementary. The schools McKinley and Eliot Arts Magnet would merge, with the McKinley campus closing.
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For high schools, the committee recommended consolidating Thurgood Marshall and Blair High School.
“But those are also six through 12 campuses, so the proposals being considered would split up those schools to nine through 12 and six through eight,” said David Wilson, a reporter for the Pasadena Star-News who spoke to Larry Mantle on LAist's daily news program AirTalk.
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Pasadena Unified is considering school closures in the wake of declining enrollment
What’s next?
The advisory committee will present its recommendations to the Board of Education on May 28.
The board will then vote in June.
"PUSD remains committed to an unbiased process, guided at every step by Total School Solutions (TSS), the District’s independent consultant," a PUSD spokesperson said in a statement. "We remain committed to transparency and care for our community throughout this process."
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How to attend the town hall
The district is hosting the in-person town hall from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pasadena High School, 2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.
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