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The Pleasanton Unified School District Board of Trustees will be reviewing and discussing ongoing and potentially new revenue generating efforts that could bring anywhere from $7.1 million to $10.6 million in ongoing funding in future years.
This discussion comes months after the board identified over $11 million in budget cuts for the next two fiscal years, which could result in over a hundred layoffs depending on how negotiations go with the labor partners — half of the $11.2 million in cuts needed to be negotiated before they are implemented.
Over the last few months, PUSD staff has been telling the community about some of the current revenue generating efforts they have been looking at and implementing in order to bring in new money as the district deals with its structural deficit and ongoing financial challenges, which have been mostly attributed to declining enrollment.
At Thursday’s meeting, staff will begin by going over some of the current local revenue generating efforts that are projected to generate $9.9 million in revenue for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Those efforts include leasing space at the district office on West Las Positas Boulevard, expanding the district’s Kids Club Program and implementing a facility use fee.
Staff also noted the additional money that comes in from donations, grants and the Pleasanton Partnerships in Education nonprofit.
Now, staff will go over all of the new revenue generating efforts that are currently underway and have either been implemented or are guaranteed to bring in new money.
“Some of these options will take 1 to 4 years to implement and require approval from the Board and voters,” according to the staff report.
Some of the new efforts to bring in money include possibly placing a parcel tax measure on a future ballot, which could generate anywhere from $4 million to $6 million; selling the First Street and Bernal Avenue property, which could take three to four years to complete but would generate up to $3 million; and increasing the capacity for the Kids Club program by August, which could generate up to $400,000.
“Classrooms have been identified and staff is prepared to expand capacity for the coming school year,” staff stated in regards to the Kids Club expansion.
During the March 26 board meeting, trustees will also review a handful of other revenue generating projects staff are still evaluating and assessing, such as declaring a portion of the Donlon Elementary School field as surplus land, leasing out more space at the district offices and opening up the Foothill High School parking lot for community parking. The parking would be for people wanting to access nearby East Bay Regional Park District trails.
The board’s open-session meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Thursday (March 26). Read the full agenda here.
In other business:
* The board will be voting on approving a resolution that would declare its property on First Street and Bernal Avenue, which used to be the old district office site, as exempt surplus land.
According to the staff report, this move would help ensure long-term financial stability by allowing the district to sell the land.
“Given existing financial constraints, district staff is reviewing and analyzing such assets to determine if opportunities exist to maximize their usage and/or disposal,” the staff report states. “District staff identified the property located at First and Bernal … for priority review.”
This would be the first step the board needs to take before it’s able to dispose of the property.
* The Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT’s), an agency that helps school districts across the state identify, prevent and resolve financial challenges, will be presenting the fiscal health risk analysis it developed to evaluate PUSD’s fiscal health and risk of insolvency over the next couple of years.
The need for such an analysis came after the district submitted its first interim budget report to the county in December as a negative certification, which meant the district was not able to meet its financial obligations in the current or subsequent fiscal year.
“PUSD staff is working to address the weaknesses identified in the report to ensure stronger systems are implemented to return the district to positive fiscal standing,” staff stated in the agenda report.
* Staff will be seeking board approval for a nearly $2.4 million contract — funded by both Measure I and Measure I1 bond dollars — with C. Overaa and Co. for the “progressive design build” of the Alisal Elementary School Modernization Project.
The board will also vote on approving a resolution authorizing the design build construction for the project, which seeks to modernize the campus. The last time the school was renovated, according to staff, was 1998.
* Before construction can start on the Walnut Grove Elementary School Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Expansion Project, which aims to build additional classroom space, the board will need to approve a not-to-exceed $96,000 contract to hire an inspector of record, which monitors construction documents, building codes and certain construction requirements.
Inspection services will be provided from June 1 to Aug. 31 or until construction is complete.
* Trustees will also be voting on approving a change order on the design build agreement with Blach Construction for the Amador Valley High School Campus Renovation Project, which looks to build new athletic and performing arts facilities.
The change order will add an extra $355,423 from Measure I, on top of the original agreement, in order for the construction firm to procure new kitchen equipment for the planned renovation of the school’s kitchen and serving lines. The design and construction of the kitchen facilities was an add-on to the original renovation project that the board approved last June.
Construction of the new kitchen is scheduled to begin this summer.
* Staff will also seek the board’s approval of a $194,046 contract with Roebbelen Construction Management for design phase services for the Early Childhood Education Center project that the district is looking to build at Harvest Park Middle School.
* At the end of the regular meeting, the board will hold a governance workshop where trustees will discuss its governance handbook and self evaluation tools, according to the meeting agenda.
Again, there is an unanswered question about a parcel tax. My understanding is that (a) those 65 and older can opt out of paying the tax and (b) the lost funds from this action have to be filled in by the General Fund. If you pass a tax for $5 mm and lose $1 mm from seniors, you must take the $1 mm from the General Fund. This seems difficult given the proposed cuts.
I did ask a board member if this was still true. I have not heard back.