Declining enrollment means diminishing revenue for Pleasanton schools | Tim Talk | Tim Hunt | DanvilleSanRamon.com |

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About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in add...  (More)

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Declining enrollment means diminishing revenue for Pleasanton schools

Uploaded: Dec 2, 2021
The Legislature held a key hearing this week on funding for California schools.
With the state’s huge budget surplus, schools have been awash in funding, but the federal money will dry up after the current year and the long-term funding allocation is based on student enrollment. That’s the problem. Enrollment has been dropping as the birth rate has dropped and also more parents are opting for other educational opportunities for their children.
Both San Francisco and Oakland public schools are getting extra oversight to ensure that budgets are brought into balance. Oakland had appealed the focus from the Alameda County Office of Education, but lost its bid to duck that Monday.
Here locally, Pleasanton’s enrollment at the elementary level has dropped three years in a row. Spokesman Patrick Gannon wrote that the district is down about 800 students. The declining elementary enrollment is the key reason the district has delayed its plan to build a second school on the Donlon site. Given the current trends, it will not be needed in the short term.
Longer term, depending on construction of new housing, that may change. The city of Pleasanton is being required by the state to zone land for nearly 6,000 additional dwelling units. It currently has 29,344 so that will be a huge percentage increase if units are actually built. The city’s demographic report said the city grew 13.15% from 2010-21 and predicted a 4.42% rate for the next five years.
Just how that prediction plays out with the combination of the state zoning requirements and the willingness of builders to construct new homes—will they pencil with the sky-high materials costs and labor shortages?
Meanwhile, the school district will have to cope with a declining budget because enrollment has fallen. Unlike other Tri-Valley districts, Pleasanton does not have a local revenue source such as a parcel tax that is immune to state budget fluctuations.
A sidenote: Among the material Gannon sent me was an ethnic breakdown of the district. Currently about 50% of the students are of Asian descent. About 30% of them come from India, while more than 13% come from China. Other students from other Asian countries make up the other 6%.
It’s amazing how quickly the ethnicity of the student population has shifted as their parents move into town as existing neighborhoods roll over again. People are coming here for the same reasons many of us did—quality public schools, quality of life and a great place to raise a family.

Community.
What is it worth to you?

Comments

Posted by John B, a resident of Foothill High School,
on Dec 2, 2021 at 9:54 am

John B is a registered user.

Few years back, Cupertino had a big influx of Asian population and schools (highly rated) are flooded with kids. 10~15 years later they are closing couple of schools due to lack of students. Retrospecting, found that not enough of new homes constructed, prop 13 holding seniors to sell their homes. I see Plesanton will be in the same situation very soon (or already in). Plesanton and city council should abandon their NIMBY attitude and truly encourage constructing new homes for all level of incomes.


Posted by John B, a resident of Foothill High School,
on Dec 2, 2021 at 9:54 am

John B is a registered user.

Few years back, Cupertino had a big influx of Asian population and schools (highly rated) are flooded with kids. 10~15 years later they are closing couple of schools due to lack of students. Retrospecting, found that not enough of new homes constructed, prop 13 holding seniors to sell their homes. I see Plesanton will be in the same situation very soon (or already in). Plesanton and city council should abandon their NIMBY attitude and truly encourage constructing new homes for all level of incomes.


Posted by Lahommed, a resident of Dublin,
on Dec 2, 2021 at 11:59 am

Lahommed is a registered user.

Maybe if someone followed the money trail over the past 2 decades they would find where much of the waste of monies went. To say Pleasanton school district may be headed for hard times is interesting because its a well funded machine...should be plenty to carry over until enrollment start to rise again. So 2 questions where did all that money go? Why is Pleasanton school district only recognizing this situation now?


Posted by Dirk Svensen, a resident of Country Fair,
on Dec 2, 2021 at 7:55 pm

Dirk Svensen is a registered user.

Is there any measurable impact from parents removing their children from public and into private schools? There seems to be a concern that the public schools are increasingly teaching racially-divisive content, suggesting that certain races (as a group no less!) are "oppressors" while others are the "oppressed". In other cases, parents are finding that children in grades 1-6 are being exposed to highly-sexualized content associated with lifestyles they don't agree with.


Posted by Jake Waters, a resident of Birdland,
on Dec 3, 2021 at 8:54 pm

Jake Waters is a registered user.

Ideology has consequences. Left leaning Teachers Union needs to feel the anguish of parents- the taxpayers they serve. Leftists in the California's educational system lacks any conscience or respects any conservative notion of what parents expect in the education of their kids. Answer: remove your children from government schools to alternative programs. Be in control of what your kids learn. It's your choice or it will be made for you.


Posted by rett.bergmark@gmail.com, a resident of Birdland,
on Dec 5, 2021 at 7:03 pm

rett.bergmark@gmail.com is a registered user.

(Removed) Pleasanton schools tout some of the highest scores and scholars in the state. (Removed) BTW - I was a Republican for 30 years until your lying hero Trump ruined the GOP, so dont try and pin that ridiculous assertion about leftists with me because it doesnt fly.


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