New Pasadena Unified School Board to be Sworn in on Monday

Superior Court Commissioner Mary Lou Byrne will swear in three new members of the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education at 3 p.m. Monday. 

Newcomers Jennifer Hall Lee and Tina Wu Fredericks will be sworn in alongside incumbent Patrick Cahalan.

Lee and Fredericks won seats vacated by Roy Boulghorian and Larry Torres, respectively. 

This year’s election was the first school board race in modern times to be decided in a plurality election without runoffs.

The new school board will have to contend with tough issues, including continued budgetary issues, declining enrollment and reopening schools.

Students have been practicing distance learning since March. A spate of recent school closures has left some local parents unhappy. 

The district planned to reopen schools next month, but last week Superintendent Brian McDonald said that the district is now eyeing opening school’s in spring which begins March 20. At most, students would be in school for in-person learning for two months under a spring reopening. 

To date, 12 private schools have received vouchers allowing preK to second grade students to return to school. 

Over the past six years, more than 1,800 students have departed the PUSD, amounting to about 11 percent of the student body. The drop in enrollment resulted in a decrease of roughly $9.4 million in state funding over the past five years.