Saturday, March 21, 2026

PUSD Names New Chief Business Officer After Six-Month Vacancy Amid Fiscal Straits

Arik Avanesyans [Pasadena Unified]

Arik Avanesyans would take over a district facing a $30 million deficit and possible schools consolidation

The Pasadena Unified School District announced Friday the appointment of Arik Avanesyans as its new chief business officer, filling a position that has been vacant for six months as the district navigates a fraught period filled with financial pressures.

The appointment is pending approval by the Board of Education at its March 26 meeting. Avanesyans would start on July 1. He joins PUSD from the Newhall School District, a 10-school elementary district in the Santa Clarita Valley, where he has served as assistant superintendent of business services since 2023.

The CBO position has been empty since mid-September, when predecessor Saman Bravo-Karimi left to return to the Los Angeles Unified School District. The vacancy drew concern from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, which is overseeing PUSD’s finances under a conditional budget approval.

At an October special meeting of the Board of Education, LACOE Director of Business Advisory Services Octavio Castelo said that anytime there is a vacancy in a district’s chief financial officer position, “it’s a concern to us.”

As CBO, Avanesyans will lead the district’s business operations, including budget development and oversight, facilities, the bond program, procurement, food services, and information technology. He will serve as a member of the Superintendent’s leadership team and participate in collective bargaining negotiations.

“Mr. Avanesyans brings a strong track record of fiscal stewardship, operational excellence, and steady leadership to PUSD,” Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said in a statement. “His experience navigating complex systems and delivering results will be essential as we continue strengthening our financial foundation while keeping students at the center of every decision.”

Avanesyans has 20 years of experience in public education business services in California, having served as assistant superintendent, chief business officer, and business manager in school districts in California. His prior experience includes leadership roles in the National School District, Upland Unified School District, and Southern Kern Unified School District. He has overseen the construction of a new elementary school and led the implementation of a comprehensive enterprise resource management system that replaced multiple outdated platforms, improving efficiency and service to schools and staff, according to the district.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from Marshall University, a bachelor’s degree in accounting from California State University, Los Angeles, and a certificate in school business management from the University of Southern California. He has earned the Chief Business Official designation from the California Association of School Business Officials and was honored as the 2023–2024 Business Office Administrator of the Year by the Santa Clarita Valley Association of California School Administrators.

“I am deeply honored to join Pasadena Unified, a community with a strong commitment to student success and educational excellence,” Avanesyans said in a statement. “I’m excited to bring my experience and passion to the role and be part of the work that makes a real difference in the lives of students and families every day.”

If approved, Avanesyans will step into the role as PUSD works to implement a fiscal stabilization plan that calls for $30 million to $35 million in reductions for the 2026-27 school year — part of an $83 million reduction target over three fiscal years. The district is also in the midst of a school consolidation process, with an advisory committee weighing which campuses to close. The Board of Education has the final say on any consolidation recommendations, with a vote scheduled for June 25.

The Board of Education meets at 4:30 p.m. March 26 in the Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room, Room 236, at the PUSD Education Center, 351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena.