PUSD Update

Community Bulletin

PASADENA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT DR. BRIAN MCDONALD ANNOUNCES THE FORMATION OF AN ENROLLMENT COMMITTEE

Enrollment Committee Kicked Off a Series of Think Tank Meetings on June 8

(Pasadena, CA, June 16, 2022) – PUSD Superintendent of Schools, Brian McDonald, Ed.D., announced a new initiative to support and improve a district-wide approach to addressing the challenges of declining student enrollment in Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre with the creation of a diverse Superintendent's Enrollment Committee

California Public School student enrollment dropped to the lowest levels in two decades; many school districts throughout the State of California are experiencing declines due to reduced fertility rates, domestic out-migration, lack of affordable housing, federal policies restricting immigration, and other pandemic-related matters. PUSD is not alone in looking at new strategies to increase student enrollment.

The good news is that PUSD has a pathway forward through the formation of the Superintendent's Enrollment Committee. A twenty-three-member task force of citizens launched a series of meetings to review and analyze enrollment statistics, demographics, and socio-economic data and brainstorm strategies to increase enrollment and make a real difference. The enrollment committee includes the Pasadena Education Network, Pasadena Education Foundation, Principals, Teachers, Administration, Parents, Students, Union Leaders, Consultants, and PUSD Board Member, Ms. Jennifer Hall Lee. With PUSD's signature programs, quality curriculum, awarding-winning teachers, and an abundance of high school students accepted into colleges and universities across the country, the enrollment committee is extremely optimistic that a strategy can be developed and implemented.

"The PUSD is committed to supporting the needs of our schools, students, faculty, and communities, and declining enrollment is something that we're facing as a collective, "said Superintendent McDonald. After two years of a global pandemic, the impacts feel amplified; however, with our very capable enrollment committee, our efforts will be intentional about understanding the why behind the drops and sharing ideas on how to increase enrollment," said McDonald. The Superintendent's Enrollment Committee will prepare a strategic plan that addresses stabilizing and increasing enrollment, academic quality, school safety, and responsiveness to parents.

Increased student enrollment directly helps the communities and families we serve, more importantly, increased enrollment stabilizes the PUSD budget, which improves employees' morale where resources are available to compensate them and support their work adequately.

PUSD is currently actively enrolling students for schools in Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre for the upcoming school year. To learn more about PUSD's quality curriculum and signature programs, please visit https://www.pusd.us - To register your child in PUSD, visit https://www.pusd.us/enrollment