PUSD Board of Education Special Meeting, March 14, 2024 (Photo – Screengrab, KLRN)
The Pasadena Unified Board of Education voted 3-4 on the action item to sever the lease with the City of Pasadena for the city’s use of the former Jefferson school site. The action was not approved.
By News Desk
Board members Kenne, Cahalan and Fredericks voted for terminating the lease, while board members Bailey, Lee, McKenzie and Velazquez voted against it. Board member Velazquez reversed her vote from the February 1st meeting. She had voted last month to house the Longfellow school community at Jefferson. On February 1, the board also approved an amendment directing staff to seek the termination of the city’s lease, since that would be required in order for their action on housing Longfellow at Jefferson to be effective.
Since the termination of the lease wasn’t on the February 1st agenda, it had to be formally voted upon by the board. The Brown Act requires that before any action is taken, it must be on a posted agenda. This is so the public may weigh in on the matter before any action is taken.
The board did vote to approve the corresponding item that places the Longfellow school community at the former Allendale school site. This was the original staff recommendation that the board changed at its February 1st meeting.
Layoffs and budget-related items approved
The board approved the final layoff resolutions for approximately 200 positions. Under state law, affected employees must receive what are known as March 15th notices when positions are reduced.
Approximately 110 positions are currently occupied by employees, who would receive these notices, and roughly 90 were vacant positions. These March 15 employee notices may indicate their services will not be needed for the next school year, or that they will be re-assigned from their current position to another position. These notices must then be made final by May 15th.
The board also approved staff’s recommended interim budget and associated fiscal stabilization plan. The savings in costs from the layoffs formed the large majority of that plan.
> Watch the entire PUSD Board of Education Special Meeting on March 14, 2024:
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