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Pasadena School Board President Seeking Re-Election

Published on Monday, May 18, 2020 | 12:53 pm
 
Patrick Cahalan

School Board President Patrick Cahalan announced on Monday he will seek re-election in the November 3 election.

“I have served on the Board since May 2015.  I am seeking re-election to serve the constituents of Trustee Area 4, and the greater PUSD community, for a second term.,” Cahalan said in a prepared statement. “My relationship with the school district began as a committed public school parent and an active community volunteer.  I have two children who have been PUSD students since kindergarten, attending Longfellow Elementary and then moving on to Blair School for secondary.”

Four Pasadena residents have announced their intentions to run for school board.

Mike Crowley, Tina Wu Fredericks, Scott Harden and Jennifer Hall Lee have all confirmed their intentions to enter contests.

If Harden qualifies for the election he will square off against Cahalan in District 4.

Cahalan’s introduction to school district policy began with a three year commitment on Longfellow Elementary School’s site council, ending with a year as Chairperson, and two years on the PUSD District Advisory Council, with a year as Vice President.

Cahalan has served as the chairperson of the former Facilities Committee and the Finance Committee, a member of the Safety Committee, and has participated in Five Star meetings with neighboring districts.  Cahalan served as Board Clerk and Board Vice-President prior to assuming Board President duties in December.

“During the last five years we have added additional dual language immersion sites, continued to support our district arts initiative in spite of budget reductions, and provided the children of this district with a quality education even as state support for education has failed to meet rising costs.”

Cahalan also touted the decision in 2017 to provide all elementary and secondary students with Chromebooks, three years before PUSD was thrust into distance learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cahalan has also helped lead the district through some of its toughest times in recent memories, including millions of dollars in budget cuts that forced school closures to stave off a county takeover of the district.

But he says the more trying times are still ahead.

The California Budget Perspective released in March was guardedly optimistic before the pandemic caused an economic downturn this country has not seen since the Great Depression.

Less than two months later, the state is facing a $54 billion budget shortfall. 

“It remains to be seen how the state legislature will address the budget concerns of the state,” Cahalan said. “Based solely upon the Prop 98 guarantee floor, estimated per pupil losses are in the neighborhood of $2,300.”

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