Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Parents Blast PUSD School Closure Process at Final Town Hall

Parents at a Pasadena Unified School District town hall Tuesday sharply criticized the district’s school-closure process, arguing that ‘flawed data,’ a rushed timeline and the absence of the full school board have eroded trust as the district moves toward a June 25 vote.

During nearly an hour of public comment at Pasadena High School, speakers challenged the credibility of the School Consolidation Advisory Committee, the outside consultant guiding the work, and the board members who will decide whether to close schools. 

Parent Kate Nixa asked from the floor, “Board here? Is anyone from the board here?” noting the lack of the full board while thanking those who did attend.

Several parents targeted Total School Solutions and its representative, Joseph Pandolfo. TJ Teams, an 18-year PUSD parent, said he emailed Pandolfo about errors in public data and never received a response. Teams called the survey that launched the process “biased and irresponsibly written” and said committee members were given faulty data and only minutes to review it before voting. He also said one board member continued attending committee meetings despite repeated requests not to.

Parents also questioned the district’s pace. Nixa pointed to the board’s recent approval of $128 million to rebuild San Rafael Elementary, saying the project “skipped the queue” and highlighted inequities. She noted the funding comes from Measures O and R, not Proposition 2.

Other speakers said projected savings of “roughly five to $700,000” per elementary school would not meaningfully address the district’s roughly $30 million budget gap. Jenny Collins said district documents show closures alone “provide minimal savings” without revenue plans for closed sites.

Pandolfo defended the process as “100% committed to transparency,” citing enrollment declines and saying closures typically save several hundred thousand dollars per small school. He said any approved closures would take effect not next school year but the year after.

The advisory committee is expected to finalize recommendations before public hearings May 28 and June 11, ahead of the June 25 board vote.