Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Pasadena Unified Releases Campus-by-Campus Soil Remediation Status Ahead of Monday’s School Year Start

In a community email issued Tuesday night, the Pasadena Unified School District published a campus-by-campus status report of soil remediation and restoration work at each affected campus, less than a week before its new school year begins Monday, Aug. 17.

“We have made significant progress, but some campuses will still have outdoor areas under remediation or restoration when school begins,” the district said in the email. “The update … shows where each site stands today, what work remains, and most importantly, what students and families can expect when campuses reopen.”

Nine of the 11 Pasadena Unified School District campuses and facilities affected by soil-remediation and restoration work are expected to be accessible when the new school year begins Monday, Aug. 17, but none is expected to be both fully complete and fully unrestricted, according to the report.

Blair High School, Cleveland Elementary Site, the Education Center, Jefferson Children’s Center and Octavia E. Butler Magnet will open with work, excavation or restoration areas closed and fenced.

At four additional campuses — Field Elementary School, John Muir High School Early College Magnet, San Rafael Elementary School and Washington Elementary STEM Magnet School — access restrictions are limited to specified gardens, a field, a courtyard or planters.

The district has been engaged in a contentious and complex soil remediation project across its campuses to remove toxic soil left behind after the Eaton fire in 2025. The project called for the removal of scores of trees, which drew public outcry and confrontation with the city of Pasadena.

“As the new school year approaches, the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) wants our employees, families, and the broader community to have a clear picture of where soil remediation and restoration work stands at each affected campus,” the district said in the email. 

“District teams and contractors have been working urgently through a complicated and, at times, disrupted process to complete as much of this work as possible before students return.”

Below is the full status chart emailed by Pasadena Unified on Tuesday: