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Brief History of the Pasadena Unified School District The Pasadena school system was created by a vote by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to establish the San Pasqual School District, which held its first meeting on August 27, 1874. The Pasadena School District was formed by action of a group of residents who sought to secede from the San Pasqual School District in 1878. When the City of Pasadena incorporated on June 14, 1886, the seceding district became the South Pasadena School District. On May 5, 1890, the portions of the original San Pasqual district that were not part of the Pasadena district were incorporated into the Pasadena district. The new name of the combined district was the Pasadena School District. In March 1953, Temple City voted to leave the District, and La Canada voted to stay. In 1960, La Canada established its own unified school district. The removal of La Canada from the Pasadena School District changed the racial demographics of the district, and contributed to a chain of events surrounding school desegregation that marked district governance for the next several decades. In 1970, Pasadena became the first non-Southern city ordered by the federal courts to desegregate its public school system. During the court’s jurisdiction over the schools, there was severe conflict within Pasadena over the direction of desegregation as well as over curriculum and reading materials. There were bitter school board elections and battles between liberals and conservatives. The federal court of appeals removed the court’s jurisdiction over the Pasadena schools in 1979, with the proviso that the district continue to maintain its efforts to integrate the schools. One legacy of the struggle to end segregation in the schools was a busing program that continues to this day, that takes approximately 2,300 minority students from the northwest portion of the district to other parts of the district. However, one cannot separate the issue of integration from that of school capacity in densely populated areas of northwest Pasadena. Between the end of the court order and the present day, the district has had several superintendents. Ramon Cortines, who had lost his post as superintendent for 14 months in the late 1970’s, was reappointed by a new Board, and held the position until 1984. Philip Jordan was hired in 1985 and served until 1990. Philip Linscomb was appointed superintendent in 1990 and served until 1992. He was replaced by Dr. Vera Vignes, who has since held the post of superintendent. Today, the Pasadena Unified School District, which covers 76 square miles, serves the cities of Pasadena and Sierra Madre, the community of Altadena, and several unincorporated territories on the south and southeast of the District. The District is governed by a 5-member Board of Education, whose members are elected to 4-year staggered terms. The Board has the authority to appoint the Superintendent and to set District policy. On a day-to-day basis, the Superintendent runs the District. From the City of Pasadena Charter Reform Task Force |
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