Thursday, August 27, 2026

PUSD Board Weighs Capital Plan That Defers Five Campuses, Shifts $121 Million

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education is consider at its Thursday, Aug. 27 meeting whether to approve a capital program update that would reallocate $23.8 million in bond money, move planned modernization work at five campuses into master planning review, and recognize that the Measure O capital projects fund is committed $121 million beyond its own proceeds.

Board Report 2010-F would replace the planning assumptions in the five-year bond plan the board adopted in November 2023 under BR 1685-F. The report attributes the update to construction escalation, fire-related impacts, project delivery timing, swing space needs, Measure R planning and updated campus priorities.

The item requests no new bond authorization and does not increase the total Measure O or Measure R authorization approved by voters. 

Rather, It reallocates existing bond planning allocations, updates project schedules, and would authorize the superintendent or designee to implement and administer the updated framework within approved bond purposes, available funding, cash flow, procurement requirements and board policy.

The Capital FIN Snapshot shows the Measure O capital projects fund with $456.3 million in bond funds and $5.4 million in interest against $582.8 million in approved budget allocations, leaving remaining unallocated bond funds of negative $121,008,810. The Capital Spending Plan labels the same figure a planned transition to Measure R funding. The staff analysis describes Measure O as being planned for full use.

Measure R shows $900 million authorized, $50 million disbursed in December 2025, $220,450,916 in approved allocations and no expenditures. The report’s headline availability figure of $572,806,163 combines Measure O and Measure R and is net of the negative $121 million.

Four schedule rows covering five campuses are moved to master planning review, totaling $187,476,544 in roadmap budget: Don Benito Elementary School, $26.1 million; Field Elementary School, $27.2 million; Webster Elementary School, $32.3 million; Octavia E. Butler Magnet, $64.4 million; and Blair High School restrooms, pool and track/field, $37.5 million.

Don Benito, Field and Webster are listed for future sequencing and master planning review, each with the notation that no BR 2010-F budget increase is shown and timing will be refined through planning. Butler and Blair are placed in a later phase, with Measure R allocation and sequencing to be informed by the Facilities Master Plan. A $6.8 million MPR and kitchen renovation at Don Benito was rescheduled to June 2028 to be included with that campus’s modernization.

Madison Elementary School and San Rafael Elementary School are identified as the next major 2027 projects, both beginning June 2027. San Rafael appears at $131,716,808 for a two-year reconstruction — $115,230,628 from Measure R plus $13 million in Measure O, $2,819,828 in fire-related escalation and $666,352 in reallocated shade structure funding — following the full rebuild the board approved April 23 under BR 1941-F.

The largest single reallocation sweeps $15,793,207 from the $44,068,633 restroom and utility program, of which $28,275,426 is protected. Eliot Arts Magnet Academy accounts for $5,466,712 of that, with Phase 1 completed and Phase 2 canceled due to fire damage. A $12 million swing space, transition and transportation program is consolidated, protecting $4,629,275 in existing commitments and centralizing $7,370,725. The $40 million Health and Safety program is unchanged under BR 1945-F.

Potential insurance recovery, FEMA recovery and future state matching funds are shown for planning purposes only and are not counted as available funding until approved, received, apportioned or otherwise confirmed. The report’s funding outlook lists $38,697,950 in anticipated insurance recovery for Franklin and escalations as pending or under review, and $110,305,404 in potential future state match funding under planning and eligibility review. The report states repeatedly that individual projects, contracts, amendments, guaranteed maximum price approvals and procurement actions will continue to return to the board when required by law, board policy, procurement method or funding requirements.

The item was submitted by Chief Business Officer Arik Avanesyans, originated by Michael Dunning, director of facilities, maintenance, operations and transportation, and approved by Superintendent Elizabeth J. Blanco. The attachments state final amounts may be refined based on unspent funds, Finance closeout and confirmed remaining commitments. The roadmap totals $769,829,687.