PUSD UPDATE

Dear PUSD Community,

In this week’s update, we have some reminders about staying healthy and a list of winter performances by our students.

PUSD schools are now enrolling for the 2024-2025 school year! PUSD is a district of choice, which means that you can choose to attend the school in your neighborhood or in another part of the district. See details below.

During the remaining days of 2023, if students or parents are concerned about classes, exams or academics in general, we encourage you to reach out to teachers and counselors who truly want you to succeed. Please take a few moments to catch up on the latest PUSD news and have a great week!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth J. Blanco, Ed.D.

Interim Superintendent

Congratulations to PUSD student Yasdeli Chavez Chilel who was selected from 25 area school districts for a $1000 scholarship! The Blair High School senior recently received the 2024 Every Student Succeeding Award “for overcoming the odds and achieving success” from the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). Yasdeli is a student in the PUSD International Academy at Blair, which supports students in grades six through 12 who have been in the United States twelve months or less. The last time PUSD had a winner for this particular award was 20 years ago.

PUSD students are showing progress in standardized testing in both English and Math despite state and nationwide drops in achievement as schools continue to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. According to data released by the California Department of Education (CDE), the percentage of PUSD students who met standards rose by 0.16% in English. This is in contrast to statewide averages which showed a decline of 0.4% in English proficiency. In Math, PUSD scores increased by 1.12% from the previous school year, nearly matching a statewide increase of 1.24%. Nine of the thirteen K-5 schools showed increases in English proficiency compared to the previous school year. Out of six schools that include grades 6-12, Pasadena High School had the highest increase – 2.4% – in Math proficiency compared to the previous year.

Thank you to all those who attended (at least 100 parents and 100 students) a PUSD Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) enrichment workshop. Students engaged in a fun enrichment class with GATE-certified teachers while parents attended a workshop.

The PUSD All Star Band, Dance and Color Guard rocked it on Saturday night in front of thousands of spectators and stood out among many competitive high school bands. This band has now marched the Rose Parade, The Hollywood Christmas Parade and the Covina Christmas Parade, along with many other special performances. They will be part of the Holiday Spectacular at Pasadena Playhouse on December 15!

Beginning today, Monday, Dec. 4, families planning to enroll their children in their neighborhood schools may enroll for the 2024-2025 school year. Registration can be completed online, or by appointment with your school site's registrar. Links to the registration page and contact info for school site registrars can be found here. Note that once you have registered at your school of residence, you will not be eligible to participate in the January Open Enrollment lottery.

Families considering one of PUSD's special programs (including dual language immersion), or who want to enroll their children at a school other than their school of residence, will have the opportunity to submit lottery applications next month during Open Enrollment (Jan. 9-26).

If you have questions about the process, join the Pasadena Education Network (PEN) for a webinar Navigating Open Enrollment this Tuesday, Dec. 5 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m..

School tours continue this month and next. Visit https://www.pusd.us/tours for more information.

Please continue to make your voices heard, we’re listening! In the search for our next superintendent, PUSD held two public forums last week to gather valuable input on what the community would like to see in our next leader. Each forum included three simultaneous sessions: for the general community, for Special Education, and for Spanish speakers.

Extensive recruitment and vetting will take place over the next few months. March 15 is the deadline for applications. Interviews will take place in April and the PUSD Board of Education expects to have the new superintendent in place by July 1, 2024. If you would like more information about the search process, email superintendentsearch@pusd.us or call 626-396-3600, ext. 88098.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is reminding everyone to stay healthy this winter and get up to date on vaccinations that protect you and help prevent the spread of diseases to others, including flu, COVID-19, pneumonia, and more. For a list of recommended vaccines, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines.

Please contact your medical provider to get vaccinations. Eligible students can get free vaccinations at the PUSD Primary Health Clinic.

To make an appointment or to get more information, please call 626-396-3600 Ext. 88180. The Primary Health Clinic is located at: 351 S. Hudson Avenue, Room 130, Pasadena, CA 91109