Pasadena School Board to Vote on Budget Plan, Nearly 200 Layoffs Possible

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education will vote Thursday night on a fiscal stabilization budget plan that could eliminate nearly 200 staff positions in the next school year.

The special meeting at 6 p.m. at the Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room will address the second interim budget report due Friday to the Los Angeles County Office of Education. If approved as submitted, the plan would lay off 90 full-time equivalent certified employees and 93 classified employees, saving the District $9 million for the 2024-25 school year.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco said the reductions are necessary due to the lapsing of one-time COVID-19 funding, declining District enrollment, and expected cuts in state funding.

“Like many school districts in California, Pasadena Unified School District is facing major budget challenges over the next three years,” Blanco said in a statement in late February.

According to Blanco, the district has attempted to minimize the impact on students by making the largest reduction of 30% to central offices.

“Our hope is that we can save some positions before the statutory deadline for final layoff notices in mid-May,” she wrote.

If the budget plan is approved, site and Department leaders will personally notify impacted employees on March 15, with the District’s Human Resources Department mailing layoff notices the same day. Final layoff and reassignment notices will be issued by May 15.

Blanco said that the Pasadena Unified School District will continue to adjust its budget based on ongoing state budget developments in the coming months and will keep the community informed.

This development is part of a broader financial challenge faced by school districts across California.