PUSD Conducting Survey for Spring Semester

The Pasadena Unified School District is conducting a survey ahead of the anticipated Jan. 11 reopening of campuses. 

“While we are anticipating that Jan. 11 is the earliest day that we can reopen campuses, we are actively planning to welcome students to school in person. Online learning will begin on Jan. 4,” states the district’s website.

“Before we return to campuses, parents/guardians must choose one of the following options for simultaneous learning for Spring 2021. These options have been revised and updated since our original survey in July,” the message continues.

“1. Return to on-campus, in-person learning as early as January 11, or  2. Stay online in distance learning with their same teacher and classmates,” the district asks. 

PUSD students have been learning from home since March when the coronavirus outbreak forced school districts across the state to initiate distance-learning programs.

The city currently allows some special-needs students and pre-kindergarten through second-grade pupils to return to schools that are allowed to open after receiving a waiver. So far, only five schools — Polytechnic School, High Point Academy, Sequoyah School, Chandler School, and St. Philip the Apostle School —  have received waivers to reopen.

All the schools have been warned that they could be forced to close again in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.

In October, local residents wrote dozens of letters to the City Council imploring the council to open schools, although the decision is not in the City Council’s purview.

“The children in Pasadena need to get back to school,” said Tracy Lewis. “Saying that we are protecting our population from COVID by keeping children out of school is laughable. Our children are suffering so much intellectually, socially, and psychologically by not being in school with their peers.”

According to the city’s website, in the PUSD there are 17 schools eligible to submit waivers. It was not clear how many private schools are eligible. Goh said at that meeting that more than 40 schools are eligible for waivers.

“Because we must plan by committing to teachers and other personnel and by purchasing appropriate supplies, your decision on the survey is binding and applies to the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year, which ends June 3,” the district survey message states.

The survey started Nov. 2 and will end on Nov. 22. It must be completed electronically. 

For help completing the survey, contact the PUSD Family Engagement office at (626) 396-3600, ext: 88191, or the PUSD Family Hotline at (626) 396-3680.

To take the survey, visit https://www.pusd.us/survey.