PIEDMONT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD MEETING – March 24, 2021

 Update for on campus instruction – Spring and Fall

• Negotiations continue for Spring on campus instruction.  
• Fall 2021 – The Board of Education and the Piedmont Unified School District is planning for providing full-time, on-campus instruction for the 2021-2022 school year.  Read the staff report in the link below.

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• $10,000,000 in School Bonds: The bonds were awarded to the bidder providing the lowest true interest cost (TIC), which represents the interest to be repaid by taxpayers. The bids also include a premium to cover the costs of the sale so that the net amount received by the District is $10 million. Of the seven bids received, Fidelity Capital Markets had the lowest TIC at 2.1268%. The costs of issuance total $146,440, not including the compensation to the underwriters. Costs include fees paid to the bond counsel, financial advisor, rating agency and other miscellaneous costs related to the bond sale. These costs, as well as any underwriting costs or commissions are included in the TIC because they are paid from premium generated when the underwriters sell the bonds to investors. The competitive sale ensures that the bonds were sold at the lowest possible cost.

>VII_A_BackgroundResultsOfSaleSeries2021C

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• InterDistrict Transfers – Updated 

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• Theater and STEAM Building Updates

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• Agenda and more links > HERE

– Student transfers from other School Districts into the Piedmont School District are proposed on a priority basis.   Children of persons working 10 hours or more per week in Piedmont need no longer work for the City or School District and grandchildren of Piedmont residents will continue to be prioritized.

Expanded qualifications for enrollment in Piedmont Schools will be considered on March 10.

Three separate initiatives were discussed during a February 24th School Board meeting in order to help achieve the Board’s goal:

1. PUSD Athletic Coaches: Paid contracted athletic coaches [children] may be eligible for admittance to Piedmont schools based on verification of employment. Does not pertain to volunteer coaches. When a District Coach ceases employment with the District, he/she shall withdraw his/her child from the District no later than the end of the current semester or at the discretion of the Superintendent.

2. Persons Employed Within the City of Piedmont: Limits Children of Persons physically employed at least 10 hours a week within the City of Piedmont limits may be eligible for admittance to Piedmont schools. Proof of employment via a letter on employer’s stationary verifying schedule (hours and days) and location of employment and a copy of a current pay stub must accompany the application. When the person ceases employment within the City of Piedmont limits, he/she shall withdraw his/her child from the District no later than the end of the current semester or at the discretion of the Superintendent.

3. Children of the City of Piedmont Government Employees The District may admit children of City of Piedmont government employees employed at least 10 hours a week. A City government employee is defined as an employee who is on a regularly scheduled City of Piedmont government employee payroll on which appropriate deductions occur. It does not include consultants or contractors for the City of Piedmont.

Read the proposed priorities for admittance in the links below:

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To participate in this Agenda item on March 10, 2021, at the 7 pm, Piedmont Unified School District meeting, click the Agenda below:

https://agendaonline.net/public/Meeting.aspx?AgencyID=1241&MeetingID=82620&AgencyTypeID=1&IsArchived=False

The Mercury News Editorial –

Editorial: Reject Piedmont property tax hike for pool repairs

The Mercury News editorial is copied below:

“Piedmont residents tax themselves to ensure that they have the best schools and premier city government. The average homeowner pays $4,400 in extra taxes for schools and another $635 for city services.

But those taxes also drive up the cost of housing in the exclusive city surrounded by Oakland and further ensure that those with average means will not be able to crack the city’s residential market.

Voters in Tuesday’s election will face two tax hikes. Measure TT, which we have previously recommended voters reject, would increase the city’s tax on property sales to state record-high levels. Now we look at Measure UU, a $19.5 million bond proposal to pay for replacing three old community pools with two new ones. Voters should reject that, too.

Based on the city estimates provided to voters, Measure UU would add an average $263 annually to the tax bill for a home assessed at the city average of slightly over $1 million.

It a bit of a tricky calculation for voters because city officials in the ballot wording obfuscated the projected average tax rate as 2.6 cents per $100 of assessed value rather than an easier-to-understand $26 per $100,000.

It turns out that the city overstated that rate, especially for the latter part of the 30-year tax. The firmer number is that city taxpayers would collectively pay about $1.3 million annually to retire the bonds needed to finance the construction.

To put that number in perspective, the city spends more than that – nearly $1.7 million to be precise – just to cover the interest payments on public employee pension debt. Put another way, most of the pool bond payments could be covered by Measure TT, which is expected to add about $948,462 annually to the city’s transfer tax revenues.

Individually and collectively, the two measures raise a question of, how much is too much? Rather than throwing multiple tax measures at voters, city leaders need to prioritize and look for savings elsewhere.”

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 – Titan:  7 years of valuable aid to schools –  

Our home values are linked to Piedmont’s  historical reputation for excellent schools.   That reputation is starting to falter as evidenced by the unexpected loss of 81 students from our school district this year.  Once lost, it will take years to recover our reputation.

Titan is the School Board candidate who will add thoughtful management and responsible oversight to the School Board.  Since 2013 he’s contributed over 500 hours of time which produced well-conceived recommendations that saved our schools and taxpayers MILLIONS of dollars.

Our current school board is disproportionately influenced by the unions and our country-club society.  Board decisions are too often unanimous with little public deliberation and are often dismissive of thoughtful public input.  Titan will return  transparent governance to the school board.

My decision to vote for Titan is based on the content of his character and intellect.  His experience as a businessman, mathematician, scientist, and STEM college professor brings valuable diversity and professional acumen to the board.

Membership on the school board should not be a popularity contest.  Titan is the responsible candidate we need.

Dai Meagher, retired CPA, Piedmont Resident

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the authors.

No Consumer Ever Got a “Prop. 13 Discount”

Since Prop. 13 was passed in 1978, the taxable value of California business property has increased no more than 2% per year regardless of its market value, unless there is a change in ownership.  Owners of such properties have used various legal mechanisms to avoid a change in ownership.  These owners, whether operating a business or renting property to others, pay far less property tax than competing businesses that acquired property more recently.

Prices and rents, however, are set by markets.  Consumers and renters don’t get a “Prop. 13 discount” that reflects the property owner’s low property tax; the property owner just pockets those savings while the rest of us pay not only the market price, but also more in all kinds of taxes to make up for the lost business property tax revenue.

Prop. 15, on the November ballot, will fix this situation by allowing the taxable value of business properties worth more than $3 million to gradually rise to market value.  Opponents claim that Prop. 15 will cause prices and rents to rise as property owners try to pass along the increased property tax.  That’s extremely unlikely—if those property owners could charge more, they already would be.

Please vote in favor of Prop. 15 to require all businesses to pay their fair share and fund our schools.

Richard W. Raushenbush, Former School Board Member

Read detailed information and watch a short video for School Board Candidate Hari Titan by clicking below.

> Hari Titan for School Board 2020 | Community Digital Town Hall

Hari Titan Piedmont School Board Candidate

SCHOOL BOARD CONSIDERATION IS ON MAY 13TH OF WHETHER TO PROCEED WITH CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER/NEW ALAN HARVEY THEATER OR WAIT.  FUNDING IS IN QUESTION.

 There has been some discussion of deferring for at least one year the second phase of the construction program — demolishing the 10s building and constructing a Performing Arts Center/New Alan Harvey Theater on the 10s site. The reasons for considering a delay include concerns over the sufficiency of contingency funds ($1.96 million), an interest in redesign to reduce overall cost, and, mostly recently, preserving the 10s building for increased social distancing.

Committee recommends moving ahead with the second phase and demolishing the 10s building.

A Measure H1 Facilities Program Update is linked here for your review.

READ the full staff report linked below:

PUSD 5132020

READ the agenda for the May 13 School Board meeting HERE.

The Piedmont School District is once more faced with a shortage of  teachers and professionals in various categories.

Piedmont Unified School Board will consider on April 22, 2020 Emergency Declaration of Need.

School Board action will allow the District to apply for and the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to issue Emergency Crosscultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD), Bilingual Crosscultural Language and Academic Development (BCLAD), Resource Specialist, Teacher Librarian Services, Clinical Rehabilitative Services, or Limited Term Assignments for teachers. 

See the agenda, procedures to participate, and staff reports linked below:

https://agendaonline.net/public/Meeting.aspx?AgencyID=1241&MeetingID=77883&AgencyTypeID=1&IsArchived=False

Background – Declaration of Need

Declaration of Need for Fully Qualified Educators

“Governor Gavin Newsom today issued an executive order ensuring California public school districts retain state funding even in the event of physical closure.”

MARCH 13, 2020: This afternoon, the Piedmont Unified School District Board of Education unanimously passed the following motion: “PUSD Board of Education moves to close school facilities for non-essential functions, suspend in-classroom instruction, and dismiss all PUSD students beginning March 16 through March 27, 2020 in order to:

• 1. Slow the spread of COVID-19 across the state and in our community, reduce the number of people infected, and protect those who are most vulnerable to severe illness.
• 2. Plan and prepare for continuity of educational services during a pandemic that may last for an extended period of time. With the expectation that teachers continue to provide a continuity of education through distance learning, actively engage in communications with administration, colleagues, families, and students; and that staff necessary for essential district-wide services/operations continue with their responsibilities either at a school site/district office or virtually (if applicable).

” With this decision, beginning March 16, 2020 all school site facilities are closed to students and the general public. All extra-curricular activities, including athletics, instrumental, vocal, dance, and dramatic productions are also cancelled. Additionally, all school site facilities rentals by the public are cancelled.

During this time, district leaders will coordinate with county health officials, the Alameda County Public Health Department, and California Department of Education to determine if returning on March 30th is advisable.

Continuity of Education School site educators are developing plans to deliver a continuity of education for students district-wide. Distance learning will be utilized, so we expect students and families to monitor email, Infinite Campus, and Schoology regularly for homework/learning activities, important updates, and messages from teachers and the administration.

Our goal is to begin communicating distance learning opportunities in the afternoon on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. These communications, including expectations and specific learning opportunities will arrive directly from site educators and the administration.

READ FULL PRESS RELEASE BY CLICKING BELOW:

Press Release – SCHOOL FACILITY CLOSURE 03-16- TO 3-27-20

Randall Booker, School Superintendent