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Parents and students from Pasadena Waldorf ask Duarte Unified to temporarily host displaced school
Summary
Representatives and students from Pasadena Waldorf School, displaced by the Eaton fire, asked the Duarte Unified Board to consider using the vacant Andrés Duarte site temporarily to keep their school community together; the board did not take formal action but several trustees urged further discussion.
Several parents, staff and students from Pasadena Waldorf School addressed the Duarte Unified School District Board on Jan. 22 seeking temporary space after wildfire damage to their campus. Speakers said the Waldorf lower campus in Altadena was “completely taken in the Eaton fire” and asked the board to consider allowing their community to use the vacant Andrés Duarte site while they recover.
Daniel Van der Wettering, introduced by the meeting facilitator, described the scope of the loss and urged Duarte to “step in and along with the board here to give a lifeline for those displaced students and their families.” A group of Waldorf parents and a 12th-grade student, Sofia, said the high school campus survived but many families and staff had lost homes; Sofia told the board her senior class is about 15 students and that four classmates had lost their homes.
Board response: Board Member Reyes said the request merits serious consideration and suggested the board schedule a special meeting to review logistics and formalize any temporary arrangement. Reyes told the board he would like to “formally discuss it, put it on the agenda, and really talk about how much we could do to help those families that are in need.” Other trustees expressed sympathy and support for exploring options but no formal motion or action to approve use of district property was taken at the meeting.
Clarifications and limitations: Speakers asked only for temporary space and stability for displaced students; the board did not commit to a timeline, lease terms, or operational details. The request raises site-availability, liability, and programmatic questions that staff would need to review before any agreement. The transcript records multiple speakers but does not show a staff or legal presentation responding to feasibility, so any formal decision would require further board agenda action.
Ending: The board signaled willingness to consider the request and to pursue further discussion; no vote or binding direction authorizing use of Andrés Duarte was recorded in the public meeting.
