State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Visits Pasadena USD Community to Support in Aftermath of Wildfires, Distributes Meals to Students and Families

PASADENA—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond visited the Pasadena Unified School District (USD) community today to provide support in response to the ongoing impacts of the Eaton Fire. Thurmond, joined by Pasadena USD Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco, Pasadena USD Board of Education members, the district’s Food Service Team, and dedicated staff, distributed Grab & Go meals to students and families in need.

The Eaton Fire has significantly impacted the Pasadena USD community, leading to increased demand for essential services. Over 1,300 Pasadena USD staff members had homes within the burn zone, and the district is still gathering data to determine the exact number of students and families impacted, which is anticipated to be in the thousands. On January 10, the district served 900 meals and served an estimated 1,200 meals today, January 13.

“No student or family should have to worry about meals during this challenging time,” Thurmond said. “Our school communities in Southern California need our unwavering support as they face the increasing frequency of wildfires and other climate-related disasters. Time and again, our education community has shown remarkable resilience and generosity in the face of crisis. Let’s stand together to support these districts as they strive to stay safe and rebuild.”

Superintendent Thurmond and the CDE have partnered with the nonprofit SupplyBank.org to collect and distribute donations and emergency resources to school communities that are facing the most significant impacts of the wildfires.

Since 2019, Superintendent Thurmond has led efforts to secure thousands of donations in response to natural disasters, providing critical support to impacted families and staff. These contributions have funded essentials such as housing assistance, gas cards, food, water, clothing, and school supplies. Through these initiatives, dozens of school communities have received aid following disasters, including wildfires, floods, and landslides.

To better address the growing frequency of environmental crises, Superintendent Thurmond established the Office of Emergency Services within the CDE. This office ensures that schools receive the emergency support they need to navigate disasters such as fires, earthquakes, and floods. The CDE Office of Emergency Services has been in constant coordination with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services throughout the response to wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

In fall 2024, the CDE released updated School Outdoor Air Quality Activity Recommendations (PDF), providing local educational agencies with resources to make informed decisions about conducting school activities and closures based on local air quality conditions when communities are impacted by wildfire smoke.

Additional resources for schools for emergency response and recovery can be found on the Resources from CDE web page. For questions regarding emergency response efforts or waiver submissions, contact the CDE Office of Emergency Services at emergencyservices@cde.ca.gov.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100