Altadena Arts Magnet (Photo – altadenacougars)
An open house for Altadena Arts Magnet’s campus welcomed back parents, staff and students from PUSD.
By Andrew Sweet
Nineteen months after the Eaton Fire, families brought their Altadena Arts Magnet students back to the campus they know and love.
On Back to School night early August, Pasadena Unified families toured the campus and participated in uniform distribution and backpack handouts. Dr. Dana Hill, principal of Altadena Arts Magnet, led a town hall for parents.
When school resumed after the Eaton Fire, students were relocated to Allendale Elementary, a closed school functioning as a site for displaced programs. The original campus was surrounded by zones that sustained severe environmental and structural damage. In an ABC7 interview, Dr. Hill stated that, out of almost 550 students, “over 200 of those students lost their homes.”
When Pasadena Unified released the results of its soil tests in May 2025, Altadena Arts Magnet was reported to have a high concentration of lead—107 mg/kg. The school was one of five campuses that had to temporarily relocate, along with Eliot Arts Magnet, Aveson School of Leaders, Odyssey Charter South and Rosebud Academy.
After successful remediation, including extensive HEPA vacuuming and deep-surface cleaning, Pasadena Unified declared Altadena Arts safe to reopen. The campus’s open house marked a major milestone for PUSD, recognizing Altadena’s efforts to restore community treasures and staples.
Parents checking a classroom (Photo – altadenacougars)
A new playground at Altadena Arts Magnet (Photo – altadenacougars)
Open House at Altadena Arts Magnet (Photo – altadenacougars)
Making art (Photo – altadenacougars)
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