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Pleasanton Unified School District Area 2 Trustee Laurie Walker announced Tuesday that she will be running for a second term on the school board during the upcoming November election.
Walker said her decision to run for reelection for the Area 2 seat – represents the surrounding neighborhoods of Hart Middle School and Fairlands Elementary – was made after careful consideration and a desire to continue the work she started when she first joined the board almost four years ago.
“The decision to seek another term was driven by a simple but enduring purpose: making a difference for students,” Walker told the Pleasanton Weekly. “I believe every student deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Before she was first elected to the board in 2022, Walker had worked as an administrative secretary for Amador Valley High School for about three years. Prior to that, she had worked in a similar role at Harvest Park Middle School from 2016 to 2019.
Walker also has a long history of serving on school site councils, districtwide and budget advisory committees and athletic booster groups. In addition, Walker has served on different parent-teacher association positions, including the Pleasanton PTA Council, which earned her the Pleasanton PTA Council Honorary Service Award.
Over the past four years, Walker said she has faced several challenges as a trustee. Most of those challenges, she said, had to do with the district’s ongoing budget troubles.
During her time on the dais, the school board has had to approve nearly $25 million in net budget reductions in order to balance the district’s budget and to address an ongoing structural deficit. Through all of that, Walker said she has maintained her mission to keep those cuts as far away from the students as possible.
“My journey on the Board thus far has not always been an easy one, but it has always been about what’s best for the students of PUSD,” Walker said.
But the environment hasn’t been all doom and gloom for Walker during her time as a trustee.
She pointed to all of the construction projects the district has been able to complete or start on throughout her time on the board thanks to the voter-approved, $395 million Measure I bond. She said these renovated facilities are a testament to the district and the board’s commitment to improving the school sites for future generations of students.
Walker added that as a parent of three PUSD graduates, she has spent more than 20 years supporting the district both as a volunteer and a community leader. She said that lifelong tie and commitment to public education “continues to fuel a passion for serving students, families, and educators”.Â
However, she said PUSD continues to be at a “critical juncture”, which is why she said she decided to run for a second term.
“The decisions we make over the next four years will shape the future of public education in Pleasanton, and continuity on the Board is essential to maintaining the momentum we’ve built while thoughtfully addressing the challenges that remain,” Walker said.
She said some of her priorities, if reelected, will be attracting, supporting and retaining teachers and staff; supporting the well-being of students and employees; ensuring fiscal stewardship of the district’s finances through “transparent and fiscally sound decision-making”; and strengthening community partnerships that are essential to the district’s future.
“My story isn’t done yet,” Walker said. “There is more to accomplish, more opportunities to create, and more students whose futures we can positively impact. I am ready to continue serving our community with integrity, experience, and an unwavering commitment to every student.”
More information on Walker’s platform will be available soon on her campaign website, votelaurieforschoolboard.org.
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Wonderful news! Thank you for your committment to our children.