Altadena Schools Secession Movement Looking for 2,500 Petition Signatures

A community petition to create a separate Altadena school district has garnered 7,200 verified signatures, according to Bruce Wasson, the chief proponent of the Altadena Schools movement.

Wasson and others submitted a official petition to the county registrar  in October, but were informed that they had nearly 2,000 invalid signatures and did not meet the legal minimum required to have the Pasadena Unified School District officially evaluate the logistics of a separate district.

Wasson wrote in a release Thursday that the organization has been informed they need 2,500 additional signatures to reach the legal threshold and is recommitting volunteer efforts to getting them.

Volunteers from the Altadena Schools movement have been gathering signatures since 2006 to give Altadena a district with its own staff and control over the town's schools.  Currently, Altadena students attend PUSD schools.

The Altadena Schools website lists unsatisfactory academic outcomes as the main reason behind the push for a separate district.