Pasadena Unified School District officials updated the community on the impact of the Eaton fire, financial struggles and future renovations to district infrastructure Tuesday, April 15, during the annual State of Schools event.

PUSD Board of Education President Jennifer Hall Lee gave the keynote address from the Pasadena High School library, in front of about 40 people including students and officials from the district and city.

The speech came in the midst of a difficult start to 2025. The Board of Education and district leadership have been criticized for their handling of the post-Eaton fire response and found themselves facing protests after approving cuts to more than 100 positions due to financial struggles.

Hall Lee shared the personal story of how her family evacuated the Eaton fire. Her home survived but she said more than 70 friends and neighbors lost their homes.

“In that moment the fragility of what we’ve built together became very clear,” Hall Lee said. “Schools, neighborhoods and communities. They are strong but they are not invincible. What keeps them going is our shared care and commitment.”

Hall Lee touted the district’s arts education programs and reported an 88% graduation rate for the 2023-24 school year. In addition, 70% of students are completing career technical education pathways and about half of students are completing the A-G courses required for college eligibility.

“These number matter. They represent lives being transformed,” Hall Lee said. “Futures are being shaped by the power of opportunity.”

Funding from Measure O, one of several recent voter approved measures, has gone toward campus safety, Hall Lee said, with new front entry security systems at nine campuses, the replacement of lock sets at 23 campuses and upgrading surveillance cameras at 13 campuses.

Facility improvements this year included renovating restrooms and fields at Willard Elementary, upgraded softball facilities at Marshall Fundamental, repaired playgrounds and fencing at Sierra Madre Elementary and beautified Pasadena High School.

Other major renovations are underway at John Muir High School, Longfellow Elementary and Madison Elementary, Hall Lee said. In addition, PUSD is transforming the former Roosevelt Elementary site into workforce housing for teachers and staff.

Hall Lee said the district’s general fund revenues come from the state, federal government and local sources with state funding coming from the local control funding formula (LCFF). For the 2024-25 school year, PUSD’s LCFF allocation was about $193 million.

The passage of Measures J and EE the district’s deficit was reduced by $10 million. Measure R’s passage secured $900 million for school upgrades, which Hall Lee said was the latest example of the community showing up to support the district.

For next school year, Hall Lee said, the district has made more $12 million in ongoing reductions due to the financial struggles.

“These were not easy choices but they were necessary to preserve classroom instruction, maintain reserves, and continue essential programs in literacy, math, wellness and college and career readiness,” Hall Lee said.

Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco introduced Hall Lee and herself provided an overview of the district’s position. Blanco said the fire impacted nearly half of district staff and 10,000 of the district’s 14,000 students.

Blanco recapped the district’s response to the fire. She also acknowledged the financial troubles of the district and how the fire intensified the those pressures.

“As we look ahead we do so with humility, gratitude and resolve,” Blanco said. “We’ll continue advocating for increased state and federal funding, continue safeguarding the high standards of education that define PUSD and above all we want to stay focused on what we do best, providing an excellent education to every child who walks through our doors.”

As part of the event, students performed a song from their upcoming performance of Bye Bye Birdie, which opens this week at Pasadena High School.

Pasadena High School senior and member of the PUSD Student Think Tank, Mallika Sheshadri also spoke during the event.

The Student Think Tank started in 2021 and is a student led initative to amplify student voices. While on the think tank, Sheshadri pushed for student representation on the school board and helped create the student assembly and council.

Sheshadri’s Altadena home survived the fire but her family was forced to evacuate. Sheshadri described seeing homes on her street being burned.

“We are a group of students, educators and community members from different cultures and backgrounds and that makes us powerful and I know we will prevail,” Sheshadri said.

In addition to the aftermath of the fire, Sheshadri described the present as a tumultuous time in students’ lives and in history citing the COVID-19 pandemic, threats to democracy, mistreatment of immigrants and people of color and the trivialization of science.

Sheshadri is an editor of the Learning Curve an anthology of student stories written by students across the district that have been collected since 2021. Sheshadri said the Learning Curve tells the student experience living through these challenging times.

Sheshadri is deciding between Carnegie Mellon University, UCLA or Harvey Mudd College to continue her education.

“The power of resistance connects us and will get us through this difficult time,” Sheshadri said. Years from now people will look back and admire those of us who chose to resist and I am proud to be a part of a community that is a model for this.”

The event was streamed on YouTube.