Blair International Baccalaureate School

Blair International Baccalaureate School is located at 1201 S. Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, California 91106 and is in the Pasadena Unified School District . It offers the IB Middle Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme. The school underwent a major academic overhaul beginning in the fall of 2003 as a result of sub-standard academic performance, which prompted a state review. The school's two "co-principals" were replaced with a single principal, Rich Boccia, who had been principal at South Pasadena Middle School. During Boccia's tenure, school wide academic performance rose sharply as a result of several academic reforms and in 2005 Boccia was named Secondary School Principal of the Year for the State of California for his leadership success at turning around Blair.During the 2005-2006 school year, Blair International Baccalaureate School was one of many PUSD schools threatened to be shut down due to budget cuts. The prospect of having to send their children to John Muir High School and elsewhere brought out a strong showing of community support and was able to convince the Pasadena school board to keep Blair open. Students, parents, and various local figures attended school board meetings in large numbers to support Blair. The parents and community also advocated strongly for the smaller, more manageable size of the campus, the 7th-12th configuration which allows for longer buy-in time for families and the fact that Blair is fully authorized to offer the prestigious IB Diploma Programme in addition to the Middle Year's Programme. Blair is the only PUSD secondary school located in the Southwest part of Pasadena.