Piedmont district officials say overwhelming Measure P victory will be a huge boon for schools

Hours before the polls officially closed at 8 p.m. on Election Day, it was clear that registered voters overwhelmingly supported the Piedmont Unified School District Board of Education’s Measure P.

The positive outlook for “Yes on Measure P” became even clearer in days following, as results continued to show nearly 80% of the voters approved the measure.

Measure P is a proposed Piedmont Unified School District Board of Education parcel tax that replaces Measure H, the school district’s existing special tax adopted in 2019. The measure needed 66% to pass and by exceeding that figure, Measure P will become effective June 20, 2025.

In the race for two Piedmont City Council seats, early returns and the latest Alameda County update available last week showed incumbent Conna McCarthy and Lorrel Plimier receiving the majority of the votes. The results for candidates James Green and Nancy Bostrom-Fleming as of Nov. 8 left their early percentages mostly unchanged; with Green receiving about 21 percent and Bostrom-Fleming roughly 2 percent of the overall total votes cast.

In the uncontested Piedmont Unified School District board race to fill three open seats, voters elected Michael Malione, Max Roman and Susy Struble. They will serve on the PUSD board beginning in January 2025. A fourth candidate, Victoria Rosenbaum, dropped out of the race too late to have her name removed from the ballot.

The three positions became open after current board members Hilary Cooper and Veronica Anderson Thigpen chose not to run for second terms, and Cory Smegal termed out.

PUSD Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Hawn, in an email interview with Bay Area News Group prior to the election, emphasized that Measure P would generate revenue enabling the district to attract and retain highly qualified educators and sustain exceptional educational programs at Piedmont schools. Hawn noted many people move to Piedmont because they recognize better schools not only benefit their families, but also tend to increase home property values.

At that time, Hawn highlighted two primary reasons for voting “yes” on Measure P: ““First, to attract and retain the best teachers, you have to be competitive. We’re trying to move our staff and education team to higher levels of compensation. The second reason is to offer our students continued, high-quality programs. The state has reduced our funding and we don’t qualify for the funding we need to cover what is already in place. The state’s cost of living assessment has diminished over the years. It’s so small we actually lose money if we don’t get other revenue.”

Asked for comment on voter’s strong support, Hawn said in a Nov. 8 follow-up interview, “We are deeply grateful for our community’s support of Measure P, which has passed with over 79 percent approval. The Piedmont community’s yes vote reflects the trust they have placed in our district to use this funding effectively.”

The budget for the 2024-25 school year includes a 9% pay increase over three years for staff, but still requires roughly $1.4 million in cuts for the year and the same amount in the year to follow. Approval of the new parcel tax will reduce the cuts 50 percent by limiting them to only the first year.

Members of the Piedmont City Council serve their community without compensation. Council members may be elected for no more than two consecutive, four-year terms of office. After eight years, former members may run for a position on the council.

The five-member PUSD Board of Education trustees are elected at-large and may serve a maximum of two consecutive, four-year terms. Their primary responsibilities include reviewing and approving the budget, authorizing expenditures, employing the superintendent and developing local district’s’ educational vision, goals and policies within the limits of the State Education Code.

The next Alameda County updates on all the items were scheduled for this past Monday. Piedmont’s election results are not expected to change significantly, but are not considered final until certified 30 days after the election by the Registrar of Voters Office.

Lou Fancher is a freelance writer. Reach her at lou@johnsonandfancher.com.