Wednesday, April 1, 2026

‘Save Our Schools’ Rally Protests Possible PUSD Closures

By EDDIE RIVERA

Parents, students and teachers protest the possibility of school campus closings Tuesday at PUSD headquarters. [Eddie Rivera/Pasadena Now]

Nearly 100 parents, students and community members gathered Tuesday afternoon outside Pasadena Unified School District headquarters, lining Del Mar Avenue under gray skies and the threat of rain, to protest the possible closure of several campuses amid the district’s ongoing budget crisis.

Organizers held up signs and chanted at the busy traffic, as motorists honked in approval. They described the “Save Our Schools” demonstration as a show of unity across multiple campuses still under consideration, as part of a PUSD consolidation process.

“I’m the president of the Marshall PTSA, and we’re organizing (this) rally to save schools in PUSD, all the schools in PUSD,” said Warren Bleeker, who helped coordinate the event.

The district has been grappling with a structural budget deficit that has forced officials to consider a range of cost-cutting measures, including school consolidation. In December, the Board of Education approved a resolution examining school size and the potential closure of under-enrolled campuses, a move that has since evolved into a broader review affecting multiple sites..

Bleeker said that while some schools have been removed from consideration, others, including Marshall, remain on the list.

“In the fall, we had the budget issues, and so the district was required to cut a certain operative budget,” Bleeker said. “And then in December, they passed a resolution regarding school size and whether or not they should close schools that are too small.”

He said his group’s position is clear: no campuses should be closed.

Participants included families from Marshall, Blair and Don Benito, among others. For parents like Stephanie Weir, whose child attends Marshall, the uncertainty surrounding possible closures is troubling.

“I have a sophomore who’s highly engaged in school and loves the six through 12 program that’s at Marshall and he’s invested in his final years,” Weir said.

Weir said she understands the severity of the district’s financial problems but urged officials to look beyond closures for answers.

“I think (we’re) understanding  that these budget cuts have to happen, and I know it’s such a difficult situation that we’re in,” she said. “I would prefer that no schools are closing.”

She pointed to the benefits of Marshall’s 6–12 structure, saying it gives students continuity, mentorship and stronger ties to the campus community.

“They had mentorship from the older kids at the school and they saw what was laying ahead of them as far as opportunities and clubs,” Weir said. “It seemed to foster deeper roots, not just for the kids, but even for the parents.”

The PUSD School Consolidation Advisory Committee is expected to present its recommendations to the Board of Education by May 2026, and the Board is scheduled to make a final decision on closures on June 25, 2026.

As the district continues its consolidation review, Tuesday’s demonstration showed that many families want officials to find a way out of the budget crisis without dismantling existing school communities.