PUSD Candidates Speak Out About Measure O

Nearly all of the candidates running for the Pasadena Board of Education support Measure O, a $500 million facilities improvement bond, but not all of them agree on the timing.

If approved by voters on Nov. 3, the ballot measure would upgrade technology and make improvements to local schools, some of which are 100 years old, with revenue derived from an increase in local property taxes.

Mike Crowley who is running for the school board’s District 2 seat, is the only candidate that opposes the bond measure. 

Crowley cites Measure TT, a $350 million bond measure that will be on the books until 2037. The debt on the $240 million Measure Y has been paid off. According to the Pasadena Unified School District, the bond initiative has funded 140 repair projects since its passage in 2008.

“It’s not the right time,” Crowley told Pasadena Now. “That being said, I look back at Measure TT and the sad thing about it is that in measure TT, you know, the oversight committee was useless.”

Crowley is running against Wayne Hammack and Jennifer Hall Lee. Both candidates support Measure O.

“I think we always have the stomach to do the right thing for children and our public schools,” Lee said. “Our public schools are foundational. They are the foundations of our overall democracy. It’s always good to shore them up.”

Hammack said he was hoping a bond measure would be put on the ballot before the pandemic began.

“I think it’s pretty clear that the district needs to upgrade the facilities. It’s been a dozen years since Measure TT,” Hammack said. “I know obviously we’re coming out of the pandemic and there should be a concern about the taxes that are going to be imposed on people. I think it’s a modest amount for what our district needs, and obviously we’ve been underfunded for a long time, but the facilities have got to be upgraded and the bond is the best way to do it.”

Last November, PUSD Chief Facilities Officer Nelson Cayabyan said 91 percent of the district’s schools were built 50 or more years ago.

“We still have the same electrical system,” Cayabyan said. “We still have the same asbestos ceilings. You can’t teach 21st-century learning if asbestos tile is falling on top of your head. We have to turn the culture around so the facilities stay ahead of all of the great programs you need to bring on board.”

In the race for District 4, incumbent Board member Patrick Cahalan supports the bond measure. In an opinion piece that appeared in Pasadena Now, Cahalan said, “school buildings are like any other capital facility; they need safety updates, seismic retrofits, accessibility modifications, energy efficiency upgrades, kitchen replacements, the list goes on and on.  

“Pasadena is a rich community,” Cahalan continued. “We must stop treating our public schools as an inconvenient imposition on the taxpayer and instead as an integral part of the community that is worthy of our best efforts.”

According to Cahalan, the district’s bond obligation tax rate is lower than 68 other public school districts in Los Angeles County. It is ahead of only 10 other districts and at 55 percent of the median bond obligation.  

Cahalan’s opponent in the election, Scott Harden, called himself a “soft proponent” of the measure.

“I think any effort to raise community money for improving our schools is a worthwhile effort,” Harden said. “That said, I think the timing is challenging, as you stated below, and I worry that we don’t have a solid plan for how to spend it.” 

In District 6, Priscilla Hernandez said she had reservations about the timing of the bond measure.

“The timing is just a little tough right now, but I did ultimately come out in favor of it because I felt as though if I’m elected, I would definitely wisely and responsibly utilize those funds and ensure they are used for the right reasons,” Hernandez said. “The oversight is there.”

Hernandez is running against Tina Wu Fredericks, Crystal Czubernat and Milena Albert. 

Albert said she would not have asked for a half-billion dollars.

“I think psychologically where people are right now, that number is huge. And they’ve never asked for that much money before,” Albert said. “I support the fact that the district needs money to get things repaired and get the technology updated. I do. Is it reasonable to be asking as much as they’ve asked? No.”

Wu Fredericks did not provide an answer by deadline.

“This is an investment in our public schools that is spread over decades, not all at once,” Czubernat said. “In any event, It’s always the right time to invest in education. Knowledge has the best investment return.”

The candidates are running in the district’s first plurality election, meaning whoever gets the most votes wins, in recent times.