Fiscal stewardship is about public trust. How we manage public money shapes both the strength of our institutions and the trust our communities place in them.
Peralta’s colleges play an indispensable role in the educational and economic landscape of Alameda County. Peralta expands educational opportunity close to home—giving Piedmont High students access to Calculus III and Linear Algebra classes though Peralta’s Dual and Concurrent enrollment — creating affordable pathways to leading universities, helping adults prepare for new careers, or cultivating art and language skills. By reducing financial barriers and providing opportunities at different stages of life, the Colleges close gaps to access to higher education and economic mobility. Peralta directly shapes the opportunities available to families throughout Northern Alameda county.
When Cindi Reiss was first elected to the Peralta Community College District Board in 2018, the District faced serious financial instability, accreditation concerns, persistent leadership turnover, Board conflict, and the possibility of state intervention. Cindi brought to the Board the teaching perspective of a longtime tenured educator, the institutional insight of a former Accreditation Commissioner, and the governance and policy experience gained through local and statewide academic senate service. It is this unique lens that shaped her commitment to responsible fiscal governance.
The progress since 2018 is substantial: All four Peralta colleges are fully accredited. In 2026, a successful bond-refunding transaction saved taxpayers $52M. In 2026, Fitch assigned Peralta’s new general-obligation bonds a AAA rating, while S&P assigned an AA-/Stable rating. The rating agencies cited improved financial practices, experienced management, stable Board leadership, and a forward-looking plan for long-term financial stability.
Board leadership matters. Cindi understands that a trustee’s responsibility is not to pursue the easiest or most immediately popular course. It is shape and protect the long-term fiscal and structural conditions that will allow Peralta to succeed and serve its students effectively even amidst declining enrollments and growing doubts about the value of higher education.
Peralta has moved from crisis toward stability, but stability is not the same as sustainability. The District must now implement its Transformation Plan, reduce unnecessary fragmentation and internal competition, strengthen educational pathways, and establish a financial structure that will endure beyond the tenure of any individual trustee or chancellor.
I support her reelection because Peralta needs her continued experience, institutional knowledge, independence, and principled stewardship to bring this work to completion.
Please join me in voting to reelect Cindi Reiss as Peralta Community College District Trustee, Area 5, on November 3.