A screen capture of the Pasadena School Board meeting on March 26
Pasadena Unified School District Board on Thursday, in a vote of 4 to 3 gave a conditional approval for the establishment of a new Armenian Dual Language Immersion Program, which will operate from Blair High School and will enroll students for the 2020-2021 school year.
PasadenaNow.com reported that following nearly 90 minutes of discussion, PUSD members Dr. Elizabeth Pomeroy, Scott Phelps, Lawrence Torres, and Roy Boulghourjian voted in favor of the program, while members Kim Kenne, Michelle Bailey, and PUSD Board President Patrick Cahalan voted “no.”
The Armenian Dual Language Immersion Academy will be located on Pasadena’s East Blair campus, which is independent of the main Blair High School campus. Armenian language I, II, III, and IV, in both Western and Eastern Armenian, will be offered to students in 9 to 12, with additional Armenian history and culture courses also on the curriculum.
All students, regardless of their city of residency, may register for the Academy’s 2020 to 2021 school year. Students who live in different districts need to first request a release from their local school district. Once a release has been issued, they can then enroll at the Armenian Dual Language Academy, under PUSD.
The tentative dates for parents to apply for intra/inter district permits are Monday, April 6 to Friday, August 7.
The Armenian Dual Language Immersion Program is touted as the first public high school in Pasadena, as well as its surrounding cities–and the entire United States–to offer Armenian language, history, and culture courses to its students.
