Piedmont Pulse
Piedmont USD - Week 23 Update >>>
January 22, 2024
Dear PUSD Families,
I hope your start to the new year has been wonderful, as we move into the end of January. Thank you for your engagement and support. This week's Piedmont Pulse includes the following topics:
- Budget Update
- LCAP Kick-Off Meeting
- Enrollment Window
In partnership,
Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Budget Update
We held our first budget study session on January 11th and presented the Board with ideas for budget adjustments that can help PUSD accomplish the compensation offer we have made to our unions. You may recall that we made this offer in October, with an offer of 9% over three years (2% this year, 4% next year, and 3% in the third year). Unfortunately, a lot has happened since we made this offer, which has created additional challenges for our budget. Specifically, state revenues have not come in at earlier projections, and we are faced with less funding in future years than we originally projected. For example, the cost of living adjustment (COLA) for next year was originally projected at over 3%, but we are now facing .76% for next year and 2.76% the year after. Because our costs amount to a little over 1% to maintain our budget (without any additional compensation increases), this means we are facing a loss of revenue next year. Moreover, because we are projecting declining enrollment in the years ahead, and revenue is based on enrollment, our loss of revenue is even greater.
As a result, our first budget study session included ideas for enhancing our revenue and ideas for making reductions. The presentation deck for this study session is linked HERE. In this meeting, we shared our thought process for how we came to the ideas presented. For example, we shared our goal of exploring new ways of building revenue. The best kind of revenue is enrollment, and so one idea we have is to build an independent study hybrid learning program at Millennium High School. We do not currently have a dedicated independent study program, and because Millennium has so few students, it may make the most sense to launch the program there first. Regarding reductions, our thought process was focused on proportionality. That is, we wanted to ensure that we were not exploring reductions to one group more than other groups. In the presentation deck, you can see the percentage breakdown of reductions by group. You might have observed that the percentage for APSA, our administrative group, is higher than the other two groups. The reason is that we have so few administrators that if you reduce by one, it’s too little, and if you reduce by two, it shows a much higher percentage. And finally, we shared our thought process around right-sizing our budget according to enrollment. As a district that is getting smaller due to declining enrollment, we must therefore reduce the number of staff we have. That said, we are also acutely aware of our need to ensure the highest quality programs for students. We wish we did not have to reduce anywhere; however, we believe the reductions presented will have the least impact on our outstanding student programs.
At this week’s second budget study session on 1/25 at 2PM, we will present a refined list of ideas and request direction from the Board to move forward. I will close by noting how difficult this process is, and my profound regard for our staff and our community. The ideas and support we have received during this challenging time have made all the difference. We wish we did not have to make any reductions; however, the many budget constraints we face: declining enrollment/revenue, reduced State funding, rising costs, and the need to ensure staff raises…these factors have led us to where we are today.
LCAP Kick-Off Meeting - 1/30 at 5:30PM - PHS Library
As we close in on the end of the current 3-year Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), we invite you to participate in the design of our next LCAP, which is guided by our Strategic Plan. What is different about this LCAP is our effort to develop a Piedmont-specific Strategic Plan and outcomes that are unique to our community's needs. The LCAP is part of this design process, including actions and services that follow our Strategic Plan priorities and goals. We invite you to attend and participate in this valuable process. Community collaboration is one of our strengths, and our LCAP will be better for it.
Open Enrollment - Enroll Now!
PUSD Enrollment for 2024-25 School Year Opened January 9th
The Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) opened enrollment for the 2024-25 school year on January 9. Enrollment for TK-12 is for current PUSD resident families with new children entering the district, and/or for new Piedmont resident families enrolling their child for the first time. Families are required to upload proof of residency, birth certificate or passport, immunization records and TB risk assessment. Visit the District’s Enrollment section for more information. Links to enroll for the 2024-25 school year are active on the apply page as of January 9, and we encourage families to enroll right away.
Families with children turning five years of age between September 2, 2024 and June 2, 2025, are eligible for the District’s TK program for the 2024-25 school year. Visit the District website for more information about the TK program.
Visit the California Department of Education’s website for more information about Kindergarten in California. After reviewing the Enrollment section, if you have questions, please contact one of the school offices:
Beach: Sarah Schaaf - 510-594-2666, sschaaf@piedmont.k12.ca.us
Havens: Melanie Reed - 510-594-2680, mreed@piedmont.k12.ca.us
Wildwood: Christine Petersen/Jennifer Davidhazy - 510-594-2780, wildwoodoffice@piedmont.k12.ca.us
PMS: Caryn Palliser - 510-594-2669, cpalliser@piedmont.k12.ca.us
PHS: Darlene Low - 510-594-2646, dlow@piedmont.k12.ca.us
Families seeking information about inter-district transfers should check the Non-Resident Transfers page.
PUSD News & Notes
California Healthy Kids Survey - Piedmont Unified School District will participate in the California Healthy Kids Survey beginning February 2, 2024. More information, including survey questions, can be found on the District website.
Piedmont Pulse Updates - Please note that I will be sending out Piedmont Pulse newsletter every other week from this point forward. The next update will be posted on 1/22/24. Archived Piedmont Pulse Newsletters are linked HERE
PEF - The Giving Campaign - The Giving Campaign officially ended in December; however, you can still give. We are grateful to our community for their support of our outstanding teachers and programs. If you are able to give, go HERE.
Piedmont Portal - For all of the latest school and community events, please visit the Piedmont Portal linked HERE
LCAP Kickoff Meeting - The process to develop the next LCAP as part of our Strategic Plan begins on January 30th at 5:30PM in person at the PHS Library.
Donate for Absences - Parents, please remember that if your child needs to be out of school, you can submit payment HERE for the lost revenue. Each day that a student is out of school (for any reason, including illness) means a loss of revenue in the following amounts per day: TK-3rd Grade = $61.32; 4th-6th Grade = $56.39; 7th-8th Grade = $58.06; 9th-12th Grade = $61.20. This is invitational, of course.
Witter Field Renovation Project Updates - For updates on the Witter Field Renovation Project, please go to our Facilities page on our PUSD website.
Community Pool Construction Update - Safety measures around the Community Pool Project construction site on Magnolia Ave. across from PHS/MHS are currently in effect. Visit the City of Piedmont's website for details.
Work for PUSD - PUSD is seeking candidates for a variety of positions. Visit the District's Edjoin page for a complete list of jobs available and to apply online.
Substitutes Needed - Support students while earning up to $200/day. PUSD seeking substitute teachers for the 2023-24 school year. Visit the District's EdJoin page for more information and to apply.
Follow PUSD - Please read our school newsletters sent out weekly for update to date information. The District Facebook (@piedmontunified), Twitter (@piedmontunified), Instagram (@piedmontusd) and Threads (@piedmontusd@threads) pages are active.
Piedmont Unified School District
Email: communication@piedmont.k12.ca.us
Website: www.piedmont.k12.ca.us
Location: 760 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont, CA, USA
Phone: 510-594-2600