PEN Board Endorses Measures R + EE
The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education voted to put a parcel tax and school bond measure before the voters of Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre in the November 2024 election. The PEN Board of Directors has voted to endorse both measures.
Your YES vote on Measure EE, the parcel tax, will ensure that Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math classes and programs will expand, career and technical education programs and classes will grow, and wages for teachers and staff will increase so our students can learn from the best and brightest. The cost of the parcel tax will be $90 per year for 8 years on each property. This will raise approximately $5 million per year to support the district’s academic programs.
The Bond Measure, Measure R, will be used to repair & replace old roofs, repair deteriorating electrical, and HVAC systems, and modernize labs and classrooms so our children have the educational environment that they deserve. The cost will be less than $60 per $100,000 of assessed valuation of your home, raising $57 million annually. These funds must be used for infrastructure, and cannot be used for salaries or benefits.
Here’s why we endorse Measures R + EE:
School Districts across the state are facing millions of dollars of cuts to their budget next year. In Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre, this could result in deep program and staff cuts at a time when PUSD has made significant strides in academic achievement. PEN has been able to point to PUSD’s outstanding signature and magnet programs, exceptional arts opportunities, as well as our excellent neighborhood schools, when helping parents explore their PUSD options. Measures R + EE will help blunt the cutbacks so that our children can continue to thrive not just today, but for years to come.
PEN believes that public schools function best when they are embraced by their local community. So, like our surrounding foothill communities of La Canada, San Marino, Arcadia, and South Pasadena who have approved parcel taxes, we believe that one of the best ways to support our students and our community is to approve these measures. Beyond the revenue that these measures provide to our schools, it also creates a more direct and local financial connection to the community, increasing engagement and accountability.
Lastly, even in good economic times, the California budget for K-12 education is below the national average in per pupil spending. Measures R + EE will allow the Pasadena Unified School District to continue to provide outstanding academic programs in updated facilities that will enhance the education of all our children.
Please join us in voting YES on Measures R + EE. The well-being and success of our children, families, and community depend on your support.