Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Local Funding Pays for 73% of PUSD’s $83 Million Special Education Bill, as Federal Share Falls Below 7%

Pasadena Unified School District plans to spend nearly $83 million educating students with disabilities next year — and almost three of every four dollars will come from local coffers, not from state or federal sources.

That structural imbalance, laid bare in the District’s 2026-27 Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) submission, goes before the Pasadena Unified School District Governing Board for public comment at a public hearing scheduled for approximately 5:15 p.m. Thursday, May 7, at the Pasadena Unified School District Education Center, 351 S. Hudson Ave.

Of the $82,991,011 budget filed on the California Department of Education (CDE) Local Plan Annual Submission template, $60,606,863 — 73.03% — is sourced locally, drawn from the District’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), transportation funds, Workability allocations, and contributions from unrestricted District revenues.

State special education revenue covers $16,769,284, or 20.21%. Federal revenue, the smallest share, totals just $5,614,864 — 6.77% of the budget.

Within those state and federal totals, the District projects $13,669,339 in Assembly Bill (AB) 602 state aid and $921,241 in AB 602 property taxes; $5,364,053 from the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B and $84,746 from IDEA Part C; $977,578 in State Infant/Toddler funding; $1,055,896 in State Mental Health funding; and $166,065 in Federal Mental Health funding. A further $60,752,093 is categorized in the plan as “Other Projected Revenue.”

Projected expenditures match revenue dollar for dollar. Services and operations account for the largest slice at $31,425,887, or 37.87% of spending. Employee benefits total $18,657,386 (22.48%); certificated salaries, $18,260,276 (22%); and classified salaries, $12,895,057 (15.54%). Supplies are budgeted at $640,260, capital outlay at $24,000, and other outgo and financing — primarily tuition and excess costs paid to other districts or SELPAs, plus indirect costs — at $1,088,145.

One line stands out for what it does not contain: the plan reports $0 budgeted for supplemental aids and services delivered to students with disabilities in the regular classroom. The plan does, however, allocate $990,727 for students with low-incidence disabilities, a designation that includes orthopedic, visual, and deaf or hard-of-hearing impairments.

Pasadena operates as a single-district SELPA, identified by SELPA code 1916, meaning all special education funds are allocated to Pasadena Unified School District rather than shared across multiple districts. The plan names Julianne Reynoso, assistant superintendent, as SELPA director, with Pasadena Unified School District serving as the administrative entity responsible for fiscal administration. Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco is identified on the District’s certifications.

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which California Education Code requires to participate in developing the local plan, received the document for review on April 1, satisfying the 30-day review window before submission to the Los Angeles County Office of Education and the CDE. Public hearing notices were posted at school sites on May 1, according to the District. A separate SELPA public hearing for the formal adoption of Sections D and E of the local plan is scheduled for May 28.

Residents who wish to examine the 2026-27 SELPA Budget and Service Plan before or after Wednesday’s hearing may inspect it electronically or in person from May 7 through June 25, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., at the Special Education Office, Room 227, inside the Education Center at 351 S. Hudson Ave., according to the public hearing notice signed by Superintendent Blanco. The full SELPA Local Plan is posted on the Pasadena Unified School District Special Education Department website at https://www.pusd.us/departments/special-education/department-home.