Getting to Know the History of South Pasadena Unified School District

When my family was planning a cross-country move from New York City in 2007 for my husband’s new job in Pasadena, we looked at surrounding neighborhoods to find a new place to call home – La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia and, of course, South Pasadena.  After weighing various factors, including quality of schools, ethnic diversity, and small town feel, we settled for South Pasadena. 

I am happy to report that we love South Pasadena and believe that our children are thriving in our local schools – thanks to the administrative staff, teachers, parents, and local organizations who all contribute to creating such a wonderful learning environment for the South Pasadena students.

It is without a doubt that is an amazing school district, but I wondered about its history and whether it has always been so illustrious. So, I set about doing some research regarding its origin and its recent past.

The very first school that opened in South Pasadena was El Centro School on Oct. 1, 1885. The school building was not only used for teaching and learning, but also for town meetings, church services, and social gatherings – a very efficient use of limited resources during that time period.  Lincoln Park School was the second school that opened in South Pasadena in 1887, in a rented storefront by the arroyo.  The school moved a couple of times and, in 1908, bonds were passed to pay for a modern building at Lincoln Park.  Around 1911, some parents felt it would benefit the school to have a more formal parental network to organize various school activities so 18 parents banded together and formed the first Parent-Teacher Association in the City at Lincoln Park School. 

In 1979, El Centro School was experiencing declining enrollment and the school board decided to close the school and send its 200 students to Lincoln School (Lincoln Park School was renamed Lincoln School in 1939).  The combined student body voted to rename the school   My kids attended AV for a year because we rented a townhouse in the AV district while looking for a permanent home (they attend school now). 

AV provided a huge change from their school in Manhattan – instead of walking, taking a bus or subway and then walking to get to school, AV was a short 5-minute walk from home.  Instead of playing in the hallways during recess and lunch, there was a big playground.  The teachers and administrators were kind and nurturing, compared to the more no-nonsense approach they experienced at the Manhattan school.  The AV school kids also had a small town quality about them, which was uplifting for my son who had learned to deal with tough Manhattan kids in his prior life.  I remember when I first visited Arroyo Vista after my son had acclimated over a few months (I had to stay behind in New York for a few months to wrap things up), I shed a few tears of relief and joy, seeing him thriving and happy in his new school surroundings.

was opened in September 1910.  Around that time, the Marengo area was growing rapidly, with new homes being built almost daily.  The residents wanted to have a school but didn’t want one built in their immediate neighborhood.

According to South Pasadena Centennial History, “property owners refused to sell land to the school board and the people of Oneonta Park threatened lawsuit if the board attempted to build there.”  Henry E. Huntington eventually sold a lot at Marengo Avenue and Bank Street, “but only on the condition that the school board not attempt to build in Oneonta Park.” 

South Pasadena Centennial History vividly described the trek to school: “crossing the gully was a great adventure.  Youngsters would slide down one bank and clamber up the other.  Stratford Avenue eventually covered part of the arroyo, and from Oak Street to Huntington Drive an open concrete flume was built in the streambed…It was an ideal setting in which to play Paris Sewers.” 

Today, all that is gone.  However, since Marengo is centrally located, many of its students are able to walk, scooter or bike to school.  My kids have attended Marengo over the past 3 years and we couldn’t be happier.  The teachers and administrators are dedicated and caring; parents are involved and motivated; academic and extra-curricular activities are varied and bountiful; students are engaged, bright and energetic.  And it’s got a stratospheric API (Academic Performance Index) of 945 out of a maximum of 1000, a feat considering the diversity of its student body.

is the most recent addition to South Pasadena Unified School District.  It opened in 1967 in the Altos de Monterey area on Via del Rey.  The school was extensively planned for the needs of the staff and students with suggestions from teachers throughout the district.  A federal loan financed the development of Altos de Monterey so housing was made available to all qualified buyers, without regard to religion, creed or race.  As a result, MH School reflects the multi-ethnic quality of the Altos area.  Today, I have friends whose children attend MH and they are equally impressed with the quality of education they receive there.

South Pasadena Junior High (SPJH) School opened in 1928 at its current location as a school that valued the arts.  Students and professional artists contributed to beautifying the school.  In 1934, the school did not meet safety standards after the Long Beach earthquake but it was difficult during the Depression to pass bond issues to rehabilitate the campus.  Finally in 1965, construction began and substandard buildings were replaced.  Today, as we know, expansion and improvement of the campus continue.  In July of this year, the recent construction at SPJH is expected to complete, ready to welcome the new incoming sixth graders and returning seventh and eighth graders.

My son is starting sixth grade in the fall and is fortunate to be able to enjoy beautiful new facilities.  My husband and I attended the open house for parents last week and were both a little apprehensive but excited and looking forward to a new school environment for our son.  The long “double” school periods, increased academic demands, new social challenges, and the onset of teenage years all set a new stage for the academic careers of the incoming six grade class.

began in 1904 with five students in the ninth-grade class.  In 1906, a $65,000 high school bond was passed to purchase a six acre site bounded by Fremont, Rollin, Diamond and Bank and build the school.  SPHS also hosted the first adult school in South Pasadena in 1916; classes were organized to teach English to foreign-born residents.  The California Legislature required any city without its own high school to annex to a neighboring school district, so San Marino became part of the South Pasadena School District in 1921.

In 1928 the ninth grade classes were transferred from SPHS to SPJH.  The change from a four-year to a three-year high school created friction with San Marino, and eventually San Marino formed its own high school district after 30 years.  Coming full circle, due to declining enrollment in the elementary schools, the school board voted to move the ninth grade to the high school in 1983.  Although I have personally not had much experience with SPHS, I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed with getting an invitation to attend a SPHS Open House for fifth graders and their parents on April 14.  Janet Anderson, the school principal, said in her note, “we would like to show you around our campus introduce some of our programs to you, let you hear from high school students, parents, and teachers, and help you start think about college (including requirements and financials).  We think that this is a perfect time for us to begin our relationship with our future students, and we want South Pasadena families to see the opportunities available here for developing student interests, skills, and talents.”  Frankly, I am not aware of another school district that prepares students for academic success with this much forward planning.

There are a couple of schools in our district that no longer exist.  The first is Oneonta School, which was opened in 1922 on Fremont Avenue.  Although residents of Oneonta Park resisted a school in their location, people realized the benefit of a school South of Huntington Drive.  By 1983 enrollment was falling in all four elementary schools in South Pasadena and beset with serious financial problems, the board of education voted to close Oneonta because there were two other elementary schools nearby and most students could still walk to school. 

The second was Las Flores School which experienced an inauspicious start.  Two weeks before the school was to open in 1924, the nearby reservoir on Raymond Hill gave way and “five million gallons for water came rushing down… the school looked… like the wild untamed Arroyo itself:  an assortment of sand and gravel.”  The school, which lay above the Raymond fault, was later deemed an earthquake hazard and was closed in 1950.

Have South Pasadena schools always been so stellar?  Yes, according South Pasadena Centennial History.  However, in the recent past, we seem to be outdoing ourselves.  In 2002, all five South Pasadena Unified schools were ranked in the top 10 percent of schools statewide.  In 2007, all five South Pasadena schools received a 10 ranking - the highest level of achievement – after the latest API (Academic Performance Index) data was released by the State Department of Education.  In 2010, all 4 elementary and middle schools surpassing 900 in API with the high school approaching 900. 

Overall district API is 911, up 15 points from 2009 and 37 points from 2007!!  Individually, our schools have been awarded many recognitions in the past few years including: being named a California Distinguished School (AV, Marengo, MH, and imminently for SPMS), winning the Knowledge Masters Open (AV, Marengo, SPMS), receiving a National Blue Ribbon Award (AV), being listed among “60 Great Schools in Los Angeles” by Los Angeles Magazine (Marengo), ranking 478 on Newsweek magazine’s top 1200 schools and the top 2.2% of public high schools in the nation (SPHS).

I’m really not the gloating type, but I do feel very happy with our choice to live in South Pasadena and have our children attend its wonderful schools. 

Sources:  South Pasadena Review and South Pasadena 1888-1988, a Centennial History.