This Is the Pasadena Unified Board Member Being Considered for Investigation

Pasadena Unified School District (Photo – ColoradoBlvd.net)

The Pasadena Unified Board of Education will consider an agenda item at its meeting on Thursday May 22nd. The item asks the board to direct staff as to whether or not to undertake an “investigation into alleged unprofessional conduct by a Member of the Board of Education” that reportedly occurred sometime between May 2 and May 4.

By Rena Kurlander

Sources have revealed that a parent at San Rafael Elementary School, in the subdistrict area of Board Member Yarma Velazquez, sent a letter to the Board president about Member Velazquez’s conduct. Staff cannot investigate one of the Board members because Board members have oversight over the superintendent. The Board, therefore, is being asked if it wants to initiate a third-party investigation. If approved, the investigation would be conducted by an outside investigator paid for by the district.

A Bad Time for Such Costs

The cost would be incurred at a time when reductions in staff have been made for the last two years with more coming next year. The purpose of the reductions is to reduce the current unusually large amount of deficit spending that will drop district reserves below the mandatory level within a year or two. Deficit spending followed a large buildup of reserves from COVID recovery monies provided by the federal government. This was followed by raises to staff salaries of 28% and higher from 2022 to 2024. The amount of this deficit spending is roughly equal to the costs of ongoing raises given to staff during this time period.

The Pasadena Unified Board meeting will take place on Thursday, May 22, at 7:00 pm. It will be live streamed on KLRN Pasadena‘s YouTube channel.