As a resident of Castro Valley, I pay $15,547.84 in property taxes and am deeply invested in the quality of our local education system. Unfortunately, my youngest daughter is unable to enroll in our local school, which is just a two-minute walk from our home. The reason? Overcrowded in our district's schools are preventing our children from receiving the education and attention they deserve. If it can happen to 1 child it can happen to many more especially as population increases in the near future. 

Two years ago, during the presentation of Alameda County’s Sixth-Cycle Housing Element, we were assured by local authorities that the addition of 1,978 new homes would not impact our schools negatively. However, this promise has not been kept. Our school sites are visibly overcrowded with limited space, impacting the learning environment and overall student experience. If this issue is not addressed promptly, the educational future of our children is at risk and the quality of life in Castro Valley will deteriorate.

Immediate action is needed to rectify this miscalculation and accommodate the increased student population. Potential solutions include properly balancing student transfers, constructing new school facilities, expanding existing ones, hiring additional teaching staff, and exploring temporary classroom expansions such as portable classrooms. We cannot allow our children and educators to bear the burden of these planning oversights.

I urge the Castro Valley School District and Alameda County officials to take responsibility and act swiftly. We cannot sacrifice educational quality and our children's futures due to planning errors and resource misallocation. Make your voice heard by signing this petition. Together, we can urge our leaders to prioritize solving this critical issue.

Facts known: 
1.) 1,875 Total units are zoned for Housing inventory in Castro Valley over the time period of 2023-2031.
2.) Today 2nd and 3rd grade are impacted at more than 1 Castro Valley school. 
3.) Residential Fee (additions > 500 sq.ft)  is $4.79 per sqft. Even if the developer paid the fee for 20,000 sqft, which would equal $95,800 paid ot the district, that would not be enough to cover the cost of building a new school (ex: cost is $50 Million+.) Thus the District would need to turn to increasing taxes to cover the costs to build as an option.