Board hires RSSC to update facilities master plan, pledges equity-centered community process

The Pasadena Unified board unanimously approved a professional services agreement with RSSC to update the district’s facilities master plan and to help sequence projects funded by Measure R. RSSC principals described an approach that centers campus teams, community forums and a standing SFAC to convert community priorities into actionable project scenarios.

Dr. Regina Straoud, an education and equity-focused planner with RSSC, told trustees the firm will not rely on a single town-hall but will scaffold workshops, campus walkthroughs and small-group conversations to surface how facilities affect daily student experience—especially for students with disabilities and low-income students of color. RSSC said it will translate those lived experiences into design and prioritization tools so the district can evaluate tradeoffs (for example, investments at one campus versus another) and manage sequencing risks.

Anton Buitt, RSSC’s planner, said the update will both incorporate the district’s recently completed design guidelines and respond to changes since the last plan (cost escalation, leadership changes and the recent wildfire impacts). Deliverables offered to the board include campus-level summaries, scenario analyses and a final prioritized plan; RSSC said outputs can be provided as exportable documents or, if desired, as an interactive public dashboard.

Why it matters: Facilities decisions embed equity and programmatic choices: RSSC’s pitch framed the update as a way to ensure capital investments protect special-education access, sustain specialty programs and reduce disruption if the district ultimately moves forward with consolidation or site reconfiguration.