APT President Dr. Elise Marks delivered the following remarks at the Nov. 13 Board of Education meeting:
APT wants to say an incredibly impassioned “thank you” to the voters of Piedmont for overwhelmingly passing Measure P!
As anyone who’s listened to me speak at School Board meetings for the past three and a half years knows, our little district does astonishing things on a meager budget. Because of our demographics and our almost-entirely residential tax base, PIedmont receives less money per pupil from the state than almost any other district in California. The state creates mandates that we must fulfill, often without any additional dollars to support the work. It’s a tough, tough formula. We have to be miracle workers here. But it does work, because all of us in the community — parents, teachers, students, neighbors — are committed to providing the superb education Piedmont kids deserve.
PUSD absolutely needed the added financial support Measure P will provide to maintain our high quality programs, and also to enable a 4.5% salary increase for staff for 2024-2025 to help us stay competitive in attracting and retaining the extraordinary educators who ensure our students are challenged, are cared for, and are able to thrive.
The fact that more than 80% of Piedmont voters voted yes speaks volumes about how much this community values the education of Piedmont’s children.
APT wants to once again say a heartfelt thank you to our School Board and to Dr. Hawn for making the decision to put the measure on the ballot.
We want to thank Larry Tramutola for his expertise in surveying the community and determining that there was indeed support for the measure.
We want to express our eternal gratitude to Claire Arno and Dave Karol for stepping up to do the heavy lift of running the campaign, and to all those who worked behind the scenes fundraising and organizing.
We thank all the parents and students and other engaged citizens who volunteered to walk door to door to distribute doorhangers with information about why this Measure was so essential for our schools.
We thank the Piedmont Families Facebook Group, the Exedra, and the Piedmont Post for keeping the campaign visible and educating voters about the need for it.
We thank everyone who put out a yard sign — and give a special thanks to the Thayer family for hanging out a big “Yes on P” banner (and to Suzy Struble for helping physically wrangle it).
And above all we thank every single voter who marked their ballot “yes”.
Passing Measure P was 100% a team effort.
I’m so proud to work in this community, for the amazing students we have, and with the incredibly talented colleagues who make our schools the wonderful places they are.
Piedmont is a remarkable place, and the overwhelming support for Measure P proves it once again.
Thank you, Piedmont!