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District officials, administrators and staff pose for a photo during a Sept. 14 ribbon cutting ceremony at Fairlands Elementary School commemorating the completion of two transitional kindergarten and kindergarten expansion projects. (Photo courtesy of PUSD) 
The Fairlands Elementary expansion project included the construction of two new playgrounds, one of which is pictured in this photo. (Photo courtesy of PUSD) 
A photo shows the inside of one of the recently constructed classrooms at Fairlands Elementary. (Photo courtesy of PUSD) 
An aerial view of Fairlands Elementary shows both of the new playgrounds. (Photo courtesy of PUSD) 
Donlon’s expansion project also included the construction of a new playground. (Photo courtesy of PUSD) 
An aerial shot of Donlon Elementary shows just some of the new improvements. (Photo courtesy of PUSD) 
A photo shows one of the new classrooms at Donlon Elementary. (Photo courtesy of PUSD)
Pleasanton Unified School District officials, staff and community members gathered last week to celebrate the opening of new transitional kindergarten and kindergarten facilities at both Donlon and Fairlands elementary schools.
The facilities, which were funded by bond dollars, include new classrooms, playgrounds and other general site improvements at each school site that the district said are designed to support its youngest students.
“The early years provide an important foundation for everything that follows,” PUSD Superintendent Maurice Ghysels said in a news release.
“As access to Transitional Kindergarten has expanded, we have also invested in environments designed around the developmental needs of 4- and 5-year-olds, helping ensure that our youngest students begin their PUSD experience in spaces where they can learn, play, connect, and thrive,” Ghysels added.
The planning and design for each of the school site projects first started in 2023, according to the district.
Upgrading and expanding transitional kindergarten spaces across all PUSD elementary schools was one of the key projects listed under the $395 million Measure I school bond program, which voters approved in 2022. Since the bond’s approval, the district has been working on the project designs and construction for all the schools.
Following the design phase, the district and its contractors began construction around the same time in January 2025, and finished construction right as school came back from summer this year — the school district hosted the ribbon-cutting ceremony long after construction was done at both schools this fall.
Over at Fairlands Elementary, students came back to four new classrooms, which included new student restrooms, and two new playgrounds.
According to the district, these “larger, age-appropriate spaces can serve both TK and Kindergarten students, providing enhanced opportunities for learning, supervision, collaboration, and play while creating a safe and engaging foundation for students’ early educational experience.”
“For many children, TK and kindergarten are where their relationship with school begins,” Fairlands principal Heidi Deeringhoff said in the news release. “These new classrooms and play spaces were created at the scale of our youngest learners, giving them welcoming places to explore, learn, build friendships, and begin to see themselves as part of a school community.”
Donlon Elementary similarly received three new classrooms, which also included new student restrooms, that were larger and “age-appropriate” in order to accommodate both TK and kindergarten students. In addition to the new classrooms, Donlon also saw improvements to the school’s parking lot and a new playground.
“These new spaces will be home to so many important firsts for our Donlon Cubs — first friendships, first discoveries, and countless moments of learning and growth,” Donlon principal Kristina Brown said in a press statement. “We are incredibly grateful to our staff and families for their flexibility throughout construction and excited to see these facilities serving students for years to come.”
According to the district, both projects used funding from Measure I and Measure I1, the $270 million general obligation bond that voters approved in 2016. The total project cost for the Fairlands upgrades was about $13.5 million, while the total cost for the Donlon improvements was about $11.8 million.
“These projects serve students at such a formative stage of their lives,” Laurie Walker, vice president for the Pleasanton school board, said in the news release. “We are deeply grateful to Pleasanton voters for making these improvements possible through Measures I and I1, and to the many teams whose planning, expertise, and hard work brought these wonderful new spaces to life.”
