With no hot button topics on the agenda and contentious labor negotiations behind them, the Piedmont Board of Education held an upbeat back-to-school meeting on Wednesday night. The board checked off a series of administrative items and heard a presentation on options for transitional kindergarten (TK) facilities as the district considers how to accommodate an expanded TK program in coming years.
Highlights:
*Parcel tax campaign co-chairs Dave Karol and Claire Arno introduced themselves and announced the campaign officially received its letter this week: Measure P will be on the November ballot. They said a website with more information about the measure and how to donate or volunteer would launch soon.
*The board thanked the four candidates for school board who have thrown their hats into the ring for three open seats. Cory Smegal, who will be wrapping up her second and final term this year, said some of the candidates had received an anonymous, threatening letter trying to convince them not to run. “That is not Piedmont.. it’s not our community,” she said, and thanked the candidates again for not being deterred from running.
*The board announced four new student representatives to the board: Grace Rego and Shakila Zuberi from MHS and Mira Sachs and Meher Bachher from PHS.
Exploring new TK classroom options
Earlier this year, the school district contracted with an architectural firm to provide it with information to make decisions about the best way to accommodate additional TK students at each elementary school site.
In 2021, legislation was passed that requires any school district operating a kindergarten to also provide a TK program for all children who turn four years old by Sept. 1 by the year 2025–26. For the 2024-25 school year, any child who turns five between Sept. 2, 2024 and June 2, 2025 (inclusive) is eligible, resulting in the need for four classes – two at Havens and two at Beach. Starting in the 2025–26 school year, the district says it anticipates needing at least one more classroom to accommodate all children who will have their fourth birthday by Sept. 1 of the school year.
The presentation included several options for each elementary school site — from reconfiguring existing rooms to building new structures at a much heftier, multi-million dollar price tag per site.
APT President Dr. Elise Marks asked that teacher input on the classroom configurations be considered before any decisions are made. Board members agreed, and also signaled a lack of interest in investing in additional new facilities at this time.
Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Hawn said the review is being undertaken with a lot of unknowns — enrollment numbers among them. As the age span increases there will also likely be a decline in enrollment – which may offset the need for extra space. “We’re just trying to be prepared for anything,” she said.