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Parents worry as Pasadena Unified mulls school closures
Parents in Pasadena Unified are concerned as a district advisory committee considers school closures and mergers amid declining enrollment.
PASADENA, Calif. - Parents with children attending Pasadena Unified schools say they are worried. The district is moving toward potential school consolidations as an advisory committee finalizes recommendations to be presented at public hearings May 28 and June 11.
The committee is looking at recommendations such as the closure of Don Benito Fundamental School, Webster Elementary and Norma Combs Elementary. McKinley School and Eliot Arts Magnet would merge.
Secondary schools that could be affected include Thurgood Marshall and Blair High School.
Parents speaking at a town hall meeting Tuesday questioned the recommendations, saying that closing schools will only hurt students. Pasadena school officials are dealing with the same issues that schools across Los Angeles County, California and even the nation are dealing with decreasing enrollment.
According to the California Department of Education’s 2025-26 annual student enrollment data, enrollment across the state decreased by 1.3%.
In Los Angeles County, schools — which include Pasadena Unified — reported a 2.6% decrease.
The state figures seem to match declining birth rates across the nation, although other factors come into play here, such as housing costs.
FOX 11 reached out to Pasadena Unified for comment and the district responded with the following statement:
"In alignment with Board Resolution 2852: Establishing Optimal School Sizes, the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education approved a contract with an independent consultant for the Superintendent’s planning process for District Transformation and potential school consolidation for the 2027-28 school year. The Board emphasized that this action initiated a planning and review process for the future of the District, and does not necessarily represent decisions regarding consolidations," the statement said.
"The Board also adopted metrics outlined in AB 1912, the state law that recommends that all school districts considering the closure or consolidation of all schools follow. AB 1912 calls for an Equity Impact Analysis, community engagement, transparency, and a focus on equity. The Board also developed desired outcomes and factors.
"As part of this process, the District formed the Superintendent’s School Consolidation Advisory Committee (SCAC) to support a transparent enrollment review and consolidation planning process. The SCAC, composed of parents, students, teachers, staff, administrators, labor partners, and community members, began meeting on February 23, 2026.
"Information about the SCAC, its process, and meeting materials is posted at pusd.us/scac.
"The District is committed to an open and equity-centered approach that prioritizes students, honors community voice, and ensures any future recommendations are made thoughtfully and with care. To maintain an unbiased process, PUSD is guided at every step by Total School Solutions (TSS), the District’s independent consultant.
"PUSD is also committed to providing clear opportunities for community engagement as this enrollment review process continues. To provide the public every opportunity to offer input before the SCAC presents its recommendations to the Board of Education, the District hosted virtual and in-person town halls, kept committee meetings open to observers and the press, posted committee meetings and materials on the District’s website (pusd.us/scac), and provided opportunities for public input at Board of Education meetings.
"The Committee’s recommendations and a draft equity impact analysis will be presented to the Board of Education at its May 28, 2026, meeting. Public comment sent to publiccomment@pusd.us will be part of the official record of the Board’s May 28 meeting."