Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Altadena Campus Will Host Pasadena Unified’s State of Schools Event Tonight

Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementary [photo credit: PUSD]

Board President Tina Fredericks will deliver her first State of Schools address Wednesday at a fire-impacted Altadena campus as the district weighs possible closures and deep budget cuts

Board President Tina Fredericks will deliver Pasadena Unified’s State of Schools address in Altadena tonight.

The selection of Altadena as the setting reflects the extent to which the Eaton Fire has reshaped the District’s landscape. The January 2025 fire damaged or destroyed five public or charter school campuses in the District’s service area, and displaced families connected to more than 1,100 students in the District.

In the months that followed, enrollment declined further as families relocated, with approximately 500 students leaving the District following the fire. The losses compounded a longer-term trend: enrollment in Pasadena Unified, which serves Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre, has fallen to fewer than 14,000 students, a decline of about 23 percent over the past decade.

Because California’s school funding model is tied to average daily attendance, the decline in enrollment has translated directly into financial strain. District officials have said the result is a structural deficit estimated between $30 million and $35 million for the coming fiscal year, as the exhaustion of pandemic-era federal funds has further narrowed the District’s fiscal maneuverability.

In response, the school Board in November approved $24.5 million in budget reductions for the 2026–27 fiscal year, followed on Feb. 26 by layoff resolutions affecting more than 160 certificated positions, along with classified positions.

At the same time, the District has begun a planning process to determine whether to close or consolidate some of its campuses. Of the District’s 23 schools, 14 are under review by the Superintendent’s School Consolidation Advisory Committee, which is expected to present its final recommendations to the Board on May 11.

The prospect of school closures has prompted concern among families and community members.

The District now faces a difficult balance: reducing its footprint to align with declining enrollment while trying to retain families and stabilize its student population.

The State of Schools address is part of an annual tradition, with last year’s presentation delivered April 15 by then-President Jennifer Hall Lee at Pasadena High School’s library. This year’s event is free and open to the public.

A regular Board meeting is scheduled for April 23. A separate in-person town hall on school consolidation is scheduled for April 28 at Pasadena High School from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The annual address is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at 593 W. Woodbury Road.