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EDUCATION AND YOUTH 

Mountain Views News Saturday, September 13, 2025

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

SIERRA MADRE AND PUSD NEED TO ALIGN FOR 
THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN By Kevin McGuire

When it comes to school safety, it is Parents vs. 
Parents, at least as it pertains to the ongoing concerns 
at Sierra Madre Elementary School. Parents 
and other members of the local community have 
expressed numerous complaints to the City regarding 
dangerous driving near the school, especially 
at the intersection of Highland and Auburn 
Avenues. 

Traffic is usually congested during drop-off times 
of students in the morning and pick-up times in 
the afternoon. Traffic backups cause irritation and 
impatience, leading some drivers to make poor 
decisions, such as sudden lane changes, speeding, 
and ignoring school zone road safety rules. Some 
violations include failing to yield and ignoring 
Stop signs. Acts such as this put other drivers and 
pedestrians in danger. Many of these pedestrians 
are between the ages of five and 10 years old, as 
Sierra Madre Elementary School serves children 
from kindergarten to 5th Grade. 

On September 9, 2025, Police Chief Gustavo Barrientos 
and Public Works Director Arnulfo Yanez 
met before the City Council to report, discuss, 
and seek direction on school pedestrian safety 
enhancements. After their assessment, both agree 
that the complaints and concerns expressed by 
parents are justified. Still, there is also a sense that 
the congestion and driving violations are “parent-
generated,” according to Chief Barrientos. 

Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) holds 
jurisdiction over Sierra Madre Elementary School. 
PUSD. Though PUSD touts on their website that 
their “stance on school safety is a comprehensive, 
multi-faceted approach prioritizing student and 
staff safety through prevention, preparation, and 
response,” in 2024, they cut out crossing guards 
at the Elementary School as part of a “responsible 
fiscal stabilization plan.”

In response to recent safety concerns, parents are 
demanding the return of crossing guards as well 
as increased traffic enforcement and the implementation 
of “traffic calming strategies to improve 
safety for students and families,” according 
to the report by Chief Barrientos and Director 
Yanez. These could include adding speed bumps 
to the roadway. 

As a short-term remedy, temporary traffic warning 
signs have been placed on Auburn Avenue, 
and the Sierra Madre Police Department (SMPD) 
has increased its presence during the peak school 
hours. The City has also opened up communication 
with PUSD for the implementation of crossing 
guards. The increase in police presence has 
yielded practical results. Still, Chief Barrientos 
does not view this as a long-term solution, as only 
two officers are patrolling during school hours, 
and they are responsible for patrolling all Sierra 
Madre schools, as well as responding to other 
emergency calls. 

From the Public Works side, some infrastructure 
improvements could include additional signage, 
enhanced crosswalk markings, and the installation 
of light-emitting diode (LED) stop signs, 
which could help raise driver awareness and improve 
pedestrian safety, according to the report.

Chief Barrientos and Director Yanez have visited 
area school principals and actively promoted their 
safety initiative on social media. 

Parents had a chance to speak out at the meeting, 
including Ashley Dilsaver, who has a child at Sierra 
Madre Elementary. “This is a huge problem,” 
Dilsaver said. “The amount of traffic on Auburn 
and Highland combined with how hard it is to see 
both directions makes it extremely dangerous, 
especially for kids crossing both before and after 
school.” 

Sharon Cartagena, another Sierra Madre parent, 
shares Dilsaver’s sentiments. “We moved to Sierra 
Madre because it was walkable. It was a safe place 
for my family. But, I can’t let my 10-year-old walk 
to school,” Cartagena said, citing the “very chaotic 
intersection.” A third parent, Caitlin Wolfe, 
who approached the lectern with her infant child, 
echoed the same theme of safety concerns and the 
need for crossing guards, and also noted that she 
will not let her 3rd grader walk to school alone. 

According to the California Office of Traffic 
Safety, pedestrian deaths in California increased 
56% between 2014 and 2023. Although there 
is no official breakdown listing student safety, 
data indicate an increase in pedestrian fatalities 
around school dismissal times. Specifically, 36% 
of child pedestrian deaths occur between 3:00 PM 
and 7:00 PM, and a significant 32% of school-age 
pedestrian fatalities occur between 3:00 PM and 
4:00 PM. Mobile devices, distracted walking, and 
poorly lit conditions are notable contributing factors 
to pedestrian accidents, particularly among 
teens (ots.ca.gov). 

Here is a summary of Sierra Madre policy options 
discussed for Sierra Madre Elementary. 

 1. Education: Launch a parent and 
student communication campaign to promote 
safe drop-off and pick-up practices. 

 2. Signage & Visibility: Install 
light-emitting diode (LED) stop signs, refresh 
pavement striping for crosswalks (ladder or horizontal 
formats), and deploy informational message 
boards. 

 3. Enforcement: Continue targeted 
traffic enforcement during the highest-risk periods, 
as resources allow. 

 4. Crossing Guards (PUSD Collaboration): 
Pursue an agreement with Pasadena 
Unified School District (PUSD) to establish and 
manage contractual crossing guard services.

Crossing guards have been the biggest request 
from concerned parents, and members of the 
City Council have expressed the need for a “coordinated 
effort” with PUSD to resolve some of 
these issues. Mayor Pro Tem Kristine Lowe noted 
that she met with PUSD School Board President 
(District 2) Jennifer Hall Lee and proposed making 
pedestrian safety concerns an agenda item. A 
response from the PUSD board is pending. Until 
then, the discussion will be continued and will 
undoubtedly involve budget talks and the hope of 
collaboration. 

Alverno Heights Academy

200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3463 

Head of School: Joanne Harabedian

E-mail address: jharabedian@alvernoheights.org

Arcadia Christian School

1900 S. Santa Anita Avenue Arcadia, CA 91006

Preschool - TK - 8th Grade

626-574-8229/626-574-0805

Email:inquiry@acslions.com

Principal: Cindy Harmon

website: www.acslions.com

Arcadia High School

180 Campus Drive Arcadia, CA 91007

Phone: (626) 821-8370, Principal: Brent Forsee

bforsee@ausd.net

Arroyo Pacific Academy

41 W. Santa Clara St. Arcadia, Ca, 

(626) 294-0661 Principal: Phil Clarke

E-mail address: pclarke@arroyopacific.org

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary School

Ms. Rose Navarro, Principal

2660 East Orange Grove Blvd.

Pasadena, Ca 91107

626-793-2089

https://school.abvmpasadena.org/

Barnhart School

240 W. Colorado Blvd Arcadia, Ca. 91007

(626) 446-5588 

Head of School: Tonya Beilstein

Kindergarten - 8th grade

website: www.barnhartschool.org

Bethany Christian School

93 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3527 

Preschool-TK-8th Grade

Principal: Jonathon Hawes

website: www. bcslions.org

Clairbourn School

8400 Huntington Drive

San Gabriel, CA 91775

Phone: 626-286-3108 ext. 172

FAX: 626-286-1528

E-mail: jhawes@clairbourn.org

Foothill Oaks Academy

822 E. Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010

(626) 301-9809

Principal: Nancy Lopez

www.foothilloaksacademy.org

office@foothilloaksacademy.org

Frostig School

971 N. Altadena Drive Pasadena, CA 91107

(626) 791-1255

Head of School: Jenny Janetzke

Email: jenny@frostig.org

The Gooden School

192 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-2410 

Head of School, Jo-Anne Woolner

website: www.goodenschool.org

High Point Academy

1720 Kinneloa Canyon Road 

Pasadena, Ca. 91107 

Head of School: Gary Stern 626-798-8989

website: www.highpointacademy.org

La Salle College Preparatory

3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 351-8951 website: www.lasallehs.org

Principal Ernest Siy

Monrovia High School

325 East Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016 

(626) 471-2800 Principal Darvin Jackson

Email: schools@monrovia.k12.ca.us

Odyssey Charter School

725 W. Altadena Dr. Altadena, Ca. 91001

(626) 229-0993 Head of School: Lauren O’Neill

website: www.odysseycharterschool.org

Pasadena High School

2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 396-5880 Principal: Dr. Eric Barba

website: http://phs.pusd.us

St. Rita Catholic School

322 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

Principal: Jon McMaster (626) 355-6114 

mcmaster@st-ritaschool.org

Website: www.st-ritaschool.org

Sierra Madre Elementary School

141 W. Highland Ave, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-1428 

Principal: Dr. Jodi Marchesso

E-mail address: marchesso.jodi@pusd.us

Sierra Madre Middle School 

160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 836-2947 Principal: Garrett Newsom

E-mail address: newsom.garrett@pusd.us

Walden School

74 S San Gabriel Blvd

Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 792-6166 

www.waldenschool.net

Weizmann Day School

1434 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 797-0204

Lisa Feldman: Head of School

Wilson Middle School

300 S. Madre St. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 449-7390 Principal: Ruth Esseln

E-mail address: resseln@pusd.us

Pasadena Unified School District

351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena, Ca. 91109

(626) 396-3600 Website: www.pusd@pusd.us

Arcadia Unified School District

234 Campus Dr., Arcadia, Ca. 91007

(626) 821-8300 Website: www.ausd.net

Monrovia Unified School District

325 E. Huntington Dr., Monrovia, Ca. 91016

(626) 471-2000 

Website: www.monroviaschools.net

Duarte Unified School District

1620 Huntington Dr., Duarte, Ca. 91010

(626)599-5000 

Website: www.duarte.k12.ca.us


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com