Pasadena City Manager Miguel Márquez and PUSD Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco (Photo – Screengrab)
The Pasadena City Council and the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) held their annual joint meeting on May 12, focusing on several collaborative initiatives. Key topics included recovery efforts following the Eaton Fire, the ongoing use of the Jefferson Campus, early childhood education programs, and a proposed workforce housing project.
By Chase Jones
Pasadena City Manager Miguel Márquez opened the meeting by highlighting the strong communication and unity between City departments and PUSD from the moment the Eaton Fire began.
“I must’ve called the superintendent 10 or 11 times overnight,” Márquez recalled. “We were asking each other, ‘How about this school? Is it alright?’ We were giving directions to fire departments to help protect some of our schools because of the important role they play in the community. Twenty-two hours after [the fire,] we held a press conference outside the convention center, where an evacuation center had been set up. We wanted to make sure the superintendent spoke to show a united front with the school district.”
Departments in direct communication with PUSD during the fire recovery process included the Fire, Police, Public Health, and Public Works Departments.
Following Márquez, PUSD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco thanked the Council for its support during the crisis and gave special recognition to Councilmember Jason Lyon for his work in relocating students from McKinley Academic Magnet School and the Allendale location.
District 4 Councilmember Gene Masuda raised a question about plans to reintegrate students who were temporarily displaced. Nearly 1,000 PUSD students lost their homes due to the fire. Dr. Blanco explained that the district has issued a survey to previously enrolled students to determine who plans to return next year, with results expected in June.
The Council and PUSD members then received an update on the multi-use operations at Jefferson Elementary School, which now houses programs from four city departments: Libraries and Information Services, Parks, Recreation and Community Services, the Fire Department, and the Police Department.
Library Director Tim McDonald presented on the benefits of these programs before and after the Eaton Fire. Offerings include:
- Play space and early learning programs for children ages 0–5
- Free consultations for guardians with Family Navigators from the Public Health Department
- Sensory storytime and other inclusive programs for families with disabled children
- “Barks and Books,” where children read to therapy dogs
- “Lunch at the Library,” which served 1,619 meals in 2024
According to McDonald, an estimated 2,116 students have been positively impacted by the Jefferson Branch Library’s programs. The Fire and Police Departments stationed at Jefferson also provide youth activities, including police dog demonstrations and career-readiness training.
To close the meeting, staff presented PUSD’s proposed workforce housing project for faculty and staff at the former Roosevelt Elementary School campus. PUSD Chief Business Officer Saman Bravo-Karimi outlined plans for 110 rental units.
Councilmember Tyron Hampton expressed concerns about the level of community engagement prior to the planning phase, emphasizing the need for broader input.
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