Student wants community to have more information on District Bond activities along with developing good programs for healthy relationships. 

When Sarah Pearson called the Piedmont School Board meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8th, there were more people sitting behind the dark wooden semi-circular desk than in the audience. The School Board meets to discuss and shape the future of Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) every other Wednesday evening, unless a special meeting arises or the Wednesday falls over a school break. At this meeting, the three main items on the agenda were updates on the H1 Bond funding measure passed in June of 2016, the Healthy Relationships curriculum at the high school, and suicide prevention measures.

To begin, Max Miller, Millennium High School’s Vice President spoke on behalf of the Piedmont High and Millennium High community, updating the school board on upcoming events. From the annual Falcon fundraising dinner switching the style of catering to the upcoming plays at Piedmont High School (PHS), both campuses were bustling with spring time activities. After Miller spoke, a community member read a speech without telling the audience or school board it’s origins. When he finished the excerpt, he asked everyone if they knew where it was from. Stumping the entire room, he revealed it was written by Pericles over 2,000 years ago, noting it’s parallel to the Gettysburg Address by the 16th President Abraham Lincoln. This non sequitur speech segwayed into the Board updates from all five board members present. Recalling all the meetings they attended, each school-related meeting had anywhere from one to four school board members in attendance. Superintendent Booker talked about the search to find a new PHS principal.

Sam Williamson spoke after the updates about the memorial service for his kindergarten teacher which was held simultaneously in the Veterans Hall. He passed around a picture of himself with his teacher; she will be missed by all her students and the entire Wildwood School community.

The first item on the agenda addressed the budgeting strategy the District will take to build a new building and an update on the lengthy process to find a contractor. Chris Delong spoke on behalf of his firm that was hired by the District to look into the process of getting state funding to help construct the new science building. Delong presented his ideas, hoping to be rehired by the District to continue his work with PUSD. Having worked years in Sacramento, Delong knows first hand the tedious work it takes to tap into the seismic construction fund, and he wants to help Piedmont with that task. The Board unanimously rehired his firm after questions by School Board members Amal Smith and Andrea Swenson.

Michael Brady updated the Board on the successful search for a construction firm. The new firm has outstanding references and consistently showed they can both work with a time limit and budget. However, I think that this H1 funding measure needs more transparency. The Piedmont community deserves more updates about how their money is being spent and what exactly is being done to ensure the building of new science buildings. Whether that’s through the Piedmont Post, or an email, the District should do a better job conveying their progress.

The next item, also presented by Brady, showed the School Board PUSD is following the new laws Governor Brown passed surrounding “Yes means Yes” legislation and Healthy Relationships education. Brady touched on the contents of the law, the Healthy Kids survey to be taken in April throughout middle school and high school, and what work has already been done to address these standards. One facet of the survey that was brought up by both Smith and City Council member Jen Cavanaugh was the decision not to question middle schoolers about their sexual activity. Brady and Booker believed that more thought needed to be put into these questions before throwing them on the survey.

City Council member Cavenaugh took time to speak with me after the meeting about the importance of healthy relationships. She expressed, “I am passionate about creating a community that values healthy relationships.” After the District sent an email out that afternoon reflecting much of what Brady said at the meeting, Cavenaugh sent an email to School Board members that very evening, then brought her notes to the meeting and spoke about the importance of starting the discussion about healthy relationships at a young age. Cavenaugh will continue to work within the Healthy Relationships Committee to ensure Piedmont plays it’s part in educating its students.

I spoke out at this meeting about weaving the healthy relationships discussion into our English classrooms through a diversification of the curriculum.

The next school board meeting will be on March 22nd at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers and is open to the public.

by Danny De Bare, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors Note:  Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Opportunities to serve Piedmont in important volunteer positions!

Be a part of Piedmont’s decision processes!

Application Deadline:

Monday, March 20th – 5PM

    On March 8th, 2017, the School Board had its monthly meeting at City Hall. The School Board meets to talk about issues and events that relate to the Piedmont Unified School District. There were a few major issues discussed at this meeting.

   The beginning of the discussion was a round of announcements about current events by the members of the Board, such as Max Miller (Millennium High School representative), Superintendent Randall Booker, School Board President Sarah Pearson, and others. Much of the discussion was about the H1 Bond (School Facilities), which was voted on by Piedmont and passed recently. A man came up to the podium to talk about bonds for the H1 funding, talking about state grants and programs such as the Career Technical Education program. Board member Cory Smegal also talked about interviewing architects for the building at the high school which is partially what H1 does.

    Aside from H1, a variety of other things were touched upon. Many members of the Board praised Piedmont High School plays, and said that they brought the community together.

    The Wellness Center was also mentioned multiple times, and was also praised by the Board members.

    Towards the end of the meeting a man came up and gave a powerpoint about sexual assault prevention and healthy relationships. There is a plan to give surveys to students about sex, rape, contraceptives, pornography, STI’s, etc. There was a debate on if the survey should be given to middle schoolers or just high schoolers. Personally, I think that it should be given to middle schoolers because despite our youth at that time, we are more knowledgeable than adults seem to realize about those topics.

    Before the meeting, I was able to interview Mr. Dimitri Magganas. Mr. Magganas is a regular at city meetings, citing an interest in dealing with city issues. He is mostly interested in H1, which he is in favor of. Despite being in favor of it,  we talked for a long time about the difficulty of finding a contractor, and how the time and cost of building is rising in the east bay.

    In the meeting however, Mr. Magganas went to the podium to talk about International Women’s Day and not H1, as he said in my interview, he was not worried about getting involved with H1 until later on in the process.

    During the middle of the meeting, my kindergarten teacher’s death was mentioned, as there was a memorial service that night. I had gone to the service before the meeting, and decided to speak about her. I was nervous to speak, but was glad I was able to talk about her as she had a big impact on me as a little kid.

By Sam Williamson, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Report showed an increase of School District revenue by $378,166, or nearly one percent of the total $39,253,395 District Budget revenue taken in during the period.  Tax exempt parcels raised once more as a funding issue.   

The PUSD Budget Advisory Committee met on Thursday, March 2, at the School District offices to review their second Interim Budget Report for the 2016-2017 PUSD budget.  Those in attendance included three PHS students, five district-affiliated persons, not including the presenter, Assistant Superintendent Song Chin Bendib, and one private citizen.

    The purpose of the meeting was to understand the District’s finances, and how they have changed recently, and how they will continue to change over the next few years.  The second interim report showed an increase of District revenue by $378,166, or nearly one percent of the total $39,253,395 Budget revenue taken in during the period.  Of this increase, nearly 60% percent came from fees or donations paid to the District for programs such as sports teams, field trips, PAINTS, CHIME, and other similar groups.  This income can only be reported after it is collected by the District, and, according to Bendib, cannot be used to offset other District costs, or saved in the General Fund.  The remaining 40% percent of revenue increases came from the State of California, in the form of one hundred nine thousand dollars of aid.  Expenditures grew by $369,689 in the same interim period, a smaller amount than the increase due to specialty payment revenue.  This reduced the District’s previous interim deficit of $869,467 to $860,990 in the second interim budget review.

Spending for books and materials increased nearly eight percent, or about $80,000, in the second, or mid school-year, interim.  Maintenance and services costs increased by nearly $200,000 during the period, an increase that Bendib attributed to so-called “discretionary spending” of the income from athletic, arts, and field trip donations.  Bendib indicated that neither the increases in maintenance expenditures, nor those on books and materials reflected long-term growth of expenditures.  The increase in income in the period, however, did not reflect a reliable increase or a growth trend either.

The author wonders why spending increased for books and materials in the middle of the school-year, surmising that most textbooks and materials are purchased at the beginning of the school-year or over the summer.  Additionally, the author believes that the income for special-interest programs like arts and athletics should not be added to the same data used to compute changes in the General Fund, especially if said income cannot be used for general spending, and represents reliable growth in neither revenues nor expenditures.

Further increase in expenditures resulted from PUSD staff that changed health insurance status.  The District, instead of paying a two thousand dollar adjustment to staff who paid for their own health insurance or received insurance through a spouse’s employment, must now pay around $7,000, for an individual, to provide full health insurance.  This puts the District’s health insurance payments on par with the most expensive insurance available in Alameda County, according to “Health Insurance Companies and Plan Rates for 2016,” a report by government-established marketplace, Covered California.

The outlook for the next few years was then presented.  The District is required to have a reserve of 3% of its projected budget every year.  For the 2016-2017 budget, there is a projected reserve of almost 4%, but for the following two years, that is the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 budgets, the projected reserves fall short at 2.7% and 1% respectively.  This is due to a decreased outlook, by $465,000, for state LCFF funding.  This amount of funding has yet to be finalized by the governor in his May revise of California’s budget.

PMS teacher Annie Holland asked a question to make sure that the numbers shown in the meeting did not indicate, or would not be seen to indicate, an increase in teacher salaries.

Private citizen William Blackwell asked that the Committee look into parcel tax exemptions.  He stated the the number of parcels in Piedmont multiplied by the flat parcel tax per parcel amounted to more than the parcel tax revenue reported by the district.  The gap, according to him, is nearly $114,000 dollars per year, and is caused by unlawful exemptions to the tax claimed by some parcel owners.  Blackwell said that several lawyers have looked into this and agree with him, including a former PUSD School Board member.  Bendib responded that the District has looked into the issue and that the District’s lawyers have advised that there is nothing illegal about the exemptions.

When asked if he learned anything from the meeting, he responded that he has attended PUSD Budget Advisory Committee meetings for four years trying to get the District to claim the money that he purports is owed to the District.  He said “I’ve heard almost the same presentation every year,” Blackwell says.  He claims that “there is a discrepancy [of] about forty-four parcels… that should be paying the taxes [and are] not.”

Blackwell also believes that paying for maintenance of current buildings using H1 Bond money will make maintenance more expensive in the long run.  He would like to see “a mandatory set-aside for maintenance every year… [that] would not be kicked down the road.”  Blackwell is disappointed by the District’s lack of action on the issue and plans to meet with Superintendent Randall Booker and other PUSD officials to discuss the issue.

by Grady Wetherbee, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

    On February 15th, 2017, the Piedmont Recreation Commission held its monthly meeting to discuss the updates and planning for construction projects around the city of Piedmont. The meeting covered construction of Hampton Field, the plan for the Piedmont Pool, Linda Beach Playfield restrictions, and various other proposed projects to improve Piedmont.

    The meeting was called to order and it was announced that the memorial service for Wildwood Elementary School teacher, Andy Weidcamp, would be held on March 8th. Shortly after announcements, a report was given about the Piedmont Community Pool by Aquatics Coordinator Tyler Waespi. The report involved details of activities the pool will be offering throughout the coming year. The medium pool will soon be opening and the Piedmont High School Swim Team will start practice beginning early March, marking the beginning of the pool’s spring season. Additionally, over Spring Break lifeguard training will be held to recruit lifeguards in preparation for the busyness of the pool over summer. Activities such as water polo, water aerobics, and swim lessons will be offered as summer approaches.

    Next, Recreation Director Sara Lillevand brought to discussion the Linda Beach Playfield restrictions, which set limits on when the field could be used by the public. These restrictions were made to allow time for sports programs to use the field that previously used Hampton Field which is currently under construction. It was proposed that public use of the Beach Playfield on Sundays be made permanent and that an additional four hour block of time for public use would also be allowed. Given that there have been no complaints about these changes to the Playfield access, the proposal was passed unanimously by the commissioners.

    The meeting next moved on to an update on Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) given by Commissioner Betsy Smegal Anderson. The CIP is a committee that residents can send ideas to about projects to better the city. It was suggested that the lights along the Piedmont Bridge along Oakland Avenue over Beach Playfield be extended. This project is currently being funded by the CIP and will soon undergo installation.

    Lastly, Director Lillevand gave an update on the construction of Hampton Park and the Aquatics Master Plan Concept. Four to five trees came down behind the basketball courts at Hampton Park during several storms and will delay the target opening date by one week. Hampton Park is set to have its grand opening on March 25th and all are welcome to attend the celebration. The Aquatics Master Plan requires a cost-operative test before a budget can be submitted to the City Council for their consideration.

    After the meeting had come to a close, Recreation Director Sara Lillevand was kind enough to share some of her thoughts about the meeting. She enjoys being a part of these meetings and being able to influence projects that bring positive changes to the city. Having discussed the Hampton Park project on several occasions, she is very excited for its completion and looks forward to the grand opening.

By Ian Dickson, Piedmont High School Senior

Below is a student report on the Piedmont Unified School District Board Meeting of February 8, 2017.

The Piedmont Unified School District School Board meeting on February 8, 2017, took place at City Hall and began at 7:00 PM. opening up with statements from each board member on recent community activity. Max Miller, the student representative to the Board from Millennium High School gave statements concerning the goings-on at both Piedmont and Millennium high schools. Miller focused on service learning and community service at both schools, the Millennium community dinner, which supports the Millennium trip to Camp Augusta, an upcoming night rally at Piedmont High, new musical Legally Blonde, and a college presentation from Ms. Bly.

The other board members updated the audience on recent events they had attended in the community. Notable events included upcoming Elementary School Enrollment Day, an information night regarding transitional and traditional kindergarten, and a community engagement meeting regarding Measure H1 to take place on April 1st, from 9:00-12:00 AM. All these reports were presented by Superintendent Randall Booker. In these opening remarks the Board also discussed the process for finding a new principle for Piedmont High, and Board President Sarah Pearson mentioned a recent coffee discussing the transition held by co-principals Eric Mapes and Irma Munoz.

Following opening remarks, the Board moved to a presentation by Blake Boehm from KNN Public Finance, LLC, regarding Measure H1 finances. Currently the Board is largely concerned with the implementation of Measure H1, a large bond passed June 2016. H1 addresses gaps in Piedmont’s education system, from insufficient facilities to opportunities to modernize Piedmont’s curriculum.

Boehm discussed bond implementation, specifically focusing on upcoming parcel tax hikes and how to guarantee that taxpayers are paying only the necessary amount to fund the bond. The bond will be instituted in three series, for a total of 66 million dollars to be spent starting in 2018. Bond sales to the community will take a maximum 6 years, and any debt incurred during this time will be paid for with property taxes. Boehm was optimistic that a continual trend of high fiscal value and community growth in Piedmont would ensure that the bond would continue to be valuable for years after its initial implementation, and saw no problems paying off any debt in upcoming years. As interests rates continue to increase, Boehm stated that savings could even surpass current predictions. At Boehm’s conclusion, the Board voted to see another presentation from Boehm at the next Board meeting.

Following presentations on Measure H1, the Board heard presentations in support of implementation of Extended Day Kindergarten (EDK) by Piedmont kindergarten teachers and the principle of Wildwood Elementary School Carol Kramer. EDK is a proposal to lengthen the normal day of a Piedmont kindergartener from half day schooling to a full day. Supporters of this change state that kindergarteners are better able to become immersed in the curriculum with a longer day, and would have more time for exploration and play. Presenters also stated current kindergarten models are outdated and need modernization. Furthermore, Measure H1 allocated funds specifically geared towards the district-wide implementation of EDK. These monies would pay for more facilities, better materials, and a higher salary for kindergarten teachers working a full day.

Opposition to EDK stated that a longer school day could increase stress at a very young age. The Board voted unanimously to move forward with EDK across the district. EDK would bring back some elements of joy and play to school, where these have clearly been lacking currently.

From my perspective, the Board correctly ruled in this case, and the benefits of implementing EDK will be seen not only in kindergarteners themselves, but across the board as they move up through Piedmont schools. While the opponents of EDK are justified in their concerns over increased student stress, EDK would actually help alleviate the stress of moving from half-day kindergarten to full-day first grade. The benefits would also extend to working parents, who could spend less on childcare. The Board will continue to hear opinions concerning the nuances of executing EDK in all three elementary schools for the remainder of the school year.

The School Board meets bimonthly, excluding special meetings, and hears issues pertaining to Piedmont schools. The Board attempts to promote better schooling for all Piedmont residents while ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used as efficiently as possible.

By Madison Wilson, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors Note:  Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Finance Director Kiran Bawa will leave the City staff as of March 6, 2017, having arrived in March 2016. 

Finance Director Kiran Bawa to leave Piedmont for Virginia –

City Administrator Paul Benoit announced that Finance Director Kiran Bawa will be leaving the City of Piedmont effective March 6, 2017. Ms. Bawa will leave Piedmont to move to Virginia to fulfill an unanticipated family obligation. During her time here, Ms. Bawa helped revise the City’s purchasing procedures, spearheaded the implementation of financial transparency software, and worked tirelessly to ensure that taxpayer dollars were well spent.

Ms. Bawa came to Piedmont in March 2016 from the City of Oakland, where she served as Budget Director. Prior to her work in Oakland, Ms. Bawa served as capital planning and grants manager for the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District.

“I am very sorry to see Kiran leave Piedmont,” said City Administrator Paul Benoit. “In her short time here, she quickly learned and understood how Piedmont’s finances work. She also helped to move Piedmont forward in significant ways. Her hard work and great interpersonal skills helped her become an invaluable member of Piedmont’s management team.”

“I was extremely delighted when the Council appointed me as Finance Director in 2016, Finance Director Kiran Bawa said. “The work environment was excellent and professionally satisfying. The Council, staff, and the community provided all manner of support as well as opportunities to make financial operations more efficient. While I do not wish to leave Piedmont, my upcoming move to the east coast to be with my future husband is the primary factor.”

The City Council and City Administrator will work in the upcoming weeks to develop a plan to replace Ms. Bawa as Finance Director.

If you have a great capital improvement idea, the committee would like to hear from you.

Deadline: Monday, March 6, 2017 –

The Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee will meet on Monday, February 13th at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be held in the East Wing of 801 Magnolia Avenue (Piedmont Center for the Arts Building).  This location does not provide for broadcasting of the meeting. Those interested in City finances and a potential bond measure may speak at the meeting.

The agenda lists a review of the 2016 -2017 Mid-year Financial Report and the City’s bonding capacity. 

The City has been studying and planning improvements to recreation facilities including a new aquatics center with potential for-profit activities such as a food concession, etc.  In addition, the City has been considering various Civic Center projects. Fiscal projections have indicated a need for additional funding to finance the projects. Bond funding has been mentioned as a potential source of funding.

The City’s bond capacity informs many decisions.

Bond approval per the City Charter and State laws requires approval by 2/3rds of Piedmonters voting on any bond measure.

Is there any description in the voluminous city documents of the total eventual impact on our city?  Will these proposals, in combination, lead to a tear down of many old Piedmont homes? Will residents only find out what’s really in this massive proposal after the Council passes it?

The multiple issues encompassed in this hydra-headed proposal should be dealt with separately, with appropriate opportunity for public input for each.