With South Pasadena voters’ approval of the $128 million Measure SP school bond heading for formal certification, local school leaders are preparing to take the first steps toward putting that money to work, while also voting on 5% raises for teachers, classified staff and managers.
The South Pasadena Unified School District (SPUSD) Board of Education will hold its regular meeting on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at the District Office, 1100 El Centro Street. Closed session begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by open session at 6:30 p.m. Trustees, alongside Superintendent Dr. Angela Baxter, are set to act on a slate of Measure SP bond resolutions, new labor agreements and the District Strategic Plan.
Measure SP: Certification, Oversight & a First $46 Million Bond Sale
Measure SP, approved in the June 2, 2026, election, authorizes the district to issue up to $128 million in general obligation bonds. Resolution 2026-2027-07 would certify to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors that Measure SP was approved by more than 55% of the votes cast and that the election proceedings were carried out according to law. Adopting the resolution starts a 60-day period in which the district must establish its Citizens’ Oversight Committee and the board must appoint all of its members.
A companion resolution, 2026-2027-08, would establish the Independent Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee required under Proposition 39 and approve its bylaws. Because the Education Code prohibits using bond funds to support the committee, the district notes there may be a fiscal impact to the General Fund.
Resolution 2026-2027-09 would authorize the first series of Measure SP bonds, the Election of 2026 General Obligation Bonds, Series A, in a principal amount not to exceed $46 million. The bonds are expected to be issued on or around February 1, 2027, through a negotiated sale to Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, with a maximum underwriter’s discount of 0.50%. The resolution authorizes current interest bonds only; capital appreciation bonds are not authorized. According to the district, there is no fiscal impact to the General Fund because the bonds will be repaid from property taxes.
Trustees will also consider Resolution No. 2026-2027-10, which would establish a lease-leaseback procedure and contractor selection guidelines under Education Code Section 17406 for Measure SP projects. Instead of the traditional “lowest responsible bidder” process, lease-leaseback allows districts to award projects on a “best value” basis that considers factors in addition to price. If approved, the district will begin the process, which can include a Request for Qualifications, and bring the results back to the board.
First Measure SP Projects: New Turf & Roofing Materials
Three items on the consent agenda would be paid from the Measure SP Bond Fund using State of California California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS) contract pricing:
- Replacing synthetic turf in landscape areas at South Pasadena Middle School ($192,310) and South Pasadena High School ($223,919), for a total of $416,229, through AstroTurf Corporation.
- Replacing the synthetic turf on the South Pasadena Middle School upper playing field through AstroTurf Corporation, for $530,929.
- Purchasing roofing materials from The Garland Company, Inc. for the Arroyo Vista Elementary School roof replacement project, for $346,675.07.
5% Raises for Teachers, Classified Staff & Management
The board will vote on a tentative agreement with the Teachers’ Association of South Pasadena (TASP), finalized on October 15, 2026, that includes a 5% ongoing increase on all 2026-2027 certificated salary schedules. The agreement also adds column V to the CTE salary schedule, updates stipend language for Advanced Placement and speech-language pathologists, adds Counseling Department Chair to the extra duty compensation schedule, and provides secondary teachers $5 per day for each student above the maximum class size. The district lists the cost at $1,490,750.
A tentative agreement with the California School Employees Association (CSEA) and its South Pasadena Chapter #17, reached in agreements dated June 17, July 8 and October 22, 2026, includes a 5% ongoing increase on the 2025-2026 classified salary schedule, along with updated language on evaluations, bereavement leave and voluntary transfers. The district lists the cost at $419,553.
Trustees will also consider 5% increases to the certificated and classified management and confidential salary schedules, at a cost of $331,529, and amendments to the employment agreements of the Executive Director of Student Support Services, the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services and the Associate Superintendent of Instructional Services. As required by AB 1200, the board must also publicly disclose the cost of the agreements; the district’s AB 1200 item lists a total of $2,241,830, budgeted from the General Fund.
Before open session, the board will meet in closed session to confer with legal counsel on two cases of anticipated litigation and with Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Judy Correnti regarding negotiations with TASP and CSEA.
Strategic Plan, AI Policy & Other Business
The board is set to approve the District Strategic Plan, which was the subject of a special board study session on Monday, November 9. Trustees will also vote on nine new and revised board policies first presented at the October 13 meeting, including Board Policy 0441 on generative artificial intelligence, as well as policies on uniform complaint procedures, parent rights and responsibilities, student records, nondiscrimination and harassment, research, and special education.
Board Policy 1220, Citizen Advisory Committees, is scheduled for a first reading, with the administration planning to bring it back for approval in December.
In other business, the board will consider withdrawing from the Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF) joint powers authority. Beginning in the 2026-27 fiscal year, the Alliance of Schools for Cooperative Insurance Programs (ASCIP), which already provides the district’s liability coverage, offers members up to $50 million in coverage through a single program. To transition effective July 1, 2027, the district must adopt a resolution and give written notice of withdrawal to SELF by December 31, 2026.
The consent agenda also includes renewed facility use and Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) service agreements with Right At School, LLC, which would continue its after-school program for TK through eighth grade students for the 2027-2028 through 2029-2030 school years, and three overnight trips for South Pasadena High School students: about 54 marching band students to the WBA Marching Band State Finals Competition in Fresno, November 20 to 22, and the varsity girls and boys basketball teams to holiday tournaments in San Diego, December 27 to 30, and Santa Barbara, December 26 to 30.
The meeting will also include board reports, the superintendent’s report, and updates on instruction and student achievement, human resources and business services.
How to Attend
The meeting is open to the public at the SPUSD District Office Board Room, 1100 El Centro Street. Those wishing to comment on agenda items or make general public comment must submit a speaker card to the Secretary to the Superintendent before the meeting begins and address the board during the Visitor Comments portion of the meeting; comments are limited to three minutes per speaker. The meeting will be livestreamed on the district’s meeting portal, and the full agenda and supporting materials are available on the SPUSD agenda portal.
Requests for disability-related accommodations to participate in the meeting should be directed to Sylvia Carroll in the Office of the Superintendent at (626) 441-5810, ext. 1100, or [email protected].
