Read What
They Wrote.
Emails and text messages obtained through public records requests document communications among PUSD board members about school consolidation including Thurgood Marshall High School months before any public process began.
See the TimelineWhat the Documents Show
Public records requests produced emails, text messages, and internal documents showing board member communications about school consolidation stretching back to Fall 2025 months before any public process began.
October 10–11, 2025: Emails Among Three Board Members
At 11:21 PM on a Friday, Fredericks emails Trustee Kenne asking for research on which positions would be "duplicative" in a consolidation before any public process exists. The next day, Kenne sends the data and forwards the entire exchange to Harden: "FYI A Tina request and my response." (CPRA 26-084)
Privileged Legal Memo Forwarded to Harden
The night before a TSS meeting, Fredericks forwards Superintendent Blanco's AB 1912 memo marked "Attorney Client Privilege" to Harden, writing: "If you want to know what Dr. Blanco is thinking about school consolidation, she lays it out plainly in the attachments." In the same email, she writes that TSS was referred to her by a "Mr. Dunning" connected to LACOE. (CPRA 26-084)
December 1, 2025: TSS President Emails Fredericks
TSS President Tahir Ahad not yet formally hired emails Fredericks: "I think it would be best to not mention our discussions to the superintendent and let her own the process." He also recommends she use "School Reconfiguration" rather than "closures."
"I think it would be best to not mention our discussions to the superintendent and let her own the process."Tahir Ahad, TSS President, email to Tina Fredericks, December 1, 2025
January 22, 2026: TSS Formally Hired
The board votes 5–2 to retain Total School Solutions as the consolidation consultant. Colorado Boulevard reported that Fredericks publicly described the process as "transparent and unbiased with no predetermined outcome."
Fredericks publicly described the process as "transparent and unbiased with no predetermined outcome."Colorado Boulevard, May 11, 2026
"We Tricked Her Into Voting for the Resolution"
Harden texts about school closures. Colorado Boulevard reported he had told concerned parents at public meetings that Marshall was "fine."
"I'm plotting to close San Raf because I think locating schools where kids live is important and we tricked her into voting for the resolution so we could make changes to it after the fact."Scott Harden, text message, February 4, 2026 (CPRA 26-084)
March 2026: TSS Survey Results Contested
TSS designs and administers a community survey that does not name the schools under consideration and uses "merging" framing throughout. On March 10, a parent emails all seven board members documenting concerns about the survey's structure. The survey closes March 19 with TSS presenting "65% support" a figure drawn from a conditional question; 29–30% of respondents indicated they did not believe the stated benefits would materialize.
↗ Full documented timeline every verified date ↗ Colorado Boulevard investigative report, May 11, 2026 ↗ Primary documents at pusdfacts.org
Documented Involvement
These four board members appear in the public records emails, text messages, and CPRA documents communicating about school consolidation before any public process began. Colorado Boulevard, May 11, 2026
- Oct 10, 2025 Emailed Kenne for consolidation research at 11:21 PM (CPRA 26-084)
- Nov 30, 2025 Forwarded superintendent's privileged AB 1912 memo to Harden (CPRA 26-084)
- Dec 1, 2025 Pre-contract coordination with TSS President Ahad (Colorado Blvd)
- Oct 11, 2025 Received Kenne's forward of Fredericks' research request (CPRA 26-084)
- Dec 9, 2025 Texted about vote counts two days before Resolution 2852 (CPRA 26-084)
- Feb 4, 2026 "we tricked her into voting for the resolution" (CPRA 26-084)
- Oct 30, 2025 Received "Consolidation 2027" deck described as "not intended for the public" (Colorado Blvd)
- Dec 11, 2025 Seconded Resolution 2852; voted YES (4–3)
- Feb 26, 2026 Voted NO on SCAC outcomes, breaking from the bloc
- Oct 11, 2025 Responded to Fredericks' research request, then forwarded full exchange to Harden (CPRA 26-084)
- Post-Dec 11 Received texts from Harden on strategic post-vote amendments (CPRA 26-084)
- Dec 11, 2025 NO on Resolution 2852 (4–3)
- Jan 22, 2026 YES on TSS contract (5–2)
- Feb 26, 2026 YES on SCAC outcomes (5–2)
- Dec 11, 2025 NO on Resolution 2852 (4–3)
- Jan 22, 2026 NO on TSS contract (5–2)
- Dec 11, 2025 NO on Resolution 2852 (4–3)
- Jan 22, 2026 NO on TSS contract (5–2)
Outside Parties
Documents show communications involving individuals outside the board in the months before the formal consolidation process began.
- Oct 2025 Presented $149.4M deficit warning to PUSD board
- Oct 21, 2025 Text to Harden reports Fredericks had private Zoom calls with "Octavio" about her consolidation plans (CPRA 26-084)
- LACOE referral chain led to TSS via Hacienda La Puente model (CPRA 26-084)
- Dec 1, 2025 Emailed Fredericks: "best to not mention our discussions to the superintendent" (Colorado Blvd)
- Dec 1, 2025 Recommended Fredericks use "School Reconfiguration" not "closures" (Colorado Blvd)
- Jan 22, 2026 Firm hired as "independent" consultant at $233,300 (PUSD board minutes)
- 2023 Led same "school reconfiguration" engagement at Hacienda La Puente USD
- Apr 27, 2026 Conceded cost savings projections were inaccurate at SCAC meeting (Colorado Blvd)
- CPRA 26-086 specifically requested all documents related to Pandolfo
Latest News
Newly released public records reveal Fredericks' private plan closes 7 campuses, eliminates Marshall as a high school, splits Blair's IB program, and proposes converting school sites to solar farms or selling them — while a Stanford brief finds school closures in California don't generate expected fiscal savings.
At a May 14 special meeting, multiple community members publicly demanded the resignations of Board President Tina Fredericks, Scott Harden, Kim Kenne, and Yarma Velázquez, citing Brown Act violations, undisclosed communications with TSS, and private deliberations on the school consolidation process. Sierra Madre Mayor Kristine Lowe threatened a formal recall campaign. The board adjourned into closed session with no reportable action.
Internal emails obtained through public records requests show Board President Tina Fredericks built a secret consolidation plan weeks before any public process, privately coordinated with consultant Tahir Ahad before TSS was hired, and participated in a series of private communications with fellow board members raising Brown Act questions.
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