Pasadena Unified Confronts Looming Budget Cuts with Public Town Halls

The Pasadena Unified School District is bracing for a painful financial reckoning.

 

District leadership has announced two crucial town hall meetings in November to address a projected budget deficit of $30 million to $35 million for the 2026–27 school year.

 

The shortfall threatens to trigger deep budget cuts across Pasadena public schools.

 

Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco and her team will lead the public sessions, framing them as a core part of the district's commitment to PUSD transparency.

 

This is a critical moment for the district, which must submit a Fiscal Stabilization Plan to avoid a potential county takeover.

 

The first meeting offers a virtual option and will take place on Wednesday, November 5, from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

 

A second, in-person town hall is scheduled for Monday, November 10, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Pasadena High School gymnasium.

 

District officials have described the budget stabilization process as a “transparent, community-informed process” aimed at protecting student learning amid the crisis.

 

The financial situation has been called “heartbreaking” and “sobering” by those close to the process.

 

Factors contributing to the deficit include declining student enrollment, rising operational costs, and the expiration of one-time COVID relief funds that had temporarily masked the structural issues.

 

The Board of Education is expected to vote on the final plan later in November, making community feedback at these sessions vitally important.

 

For the in-person meeting on November 10, the district will provide Spanish interpretation services and free childcare for school-age children.

 

This initiative underscores the district's effort to engage with all families across the San Gabriel Valley.

 

The decisions made in the coming weeks could reshape the future of public education in Pasadena.