We, the signed petitioners, urge PUSD to not create gigantic overflowing elementary schools.  School size adversely affects students’ academic, social, extracurricular and sports development of kids. What we are asking is not small schools (300-400 kids), we are okay with medium to big size schools (600-700) kids, not more than 700 kids, as was decided in 2018.  

As a first step, we urge PUSD to redraw the school boundaries that negatively affect Northern Pleasanton unequally (from classroom sizes, overflowing to schools not within boundaries, traffic, resources). Redrawing the boundaries is inevitable because some schools like Mohr and Vintage Hills have declining populations.  If redrawing boundaries still keeps the number high in Northern Pleasanton schools, then PUSD needs to build the much-needed 10th Elementary school in northern Pleasanton rather than build 7 new classrooms at Donlon Elementary and Fairlands Elementary, which would add 175 students to each school. The current capacity of Donlon Elementary is 822 students.  Adding 175 more students will bring the school to 1,000 students, which the Board of Trustees said before the pandemic it would not do to any Pleasanton Elementary Schools.

It was decided in 2018 that the size of these elementary schools will be 600-700 students (which is way higher than national average of 500 kids). PUSD is spending approximately 15 million to add classrooms to Donlon and Fairlands Elementary, which would better be directed towards the building of a new elementary school as was promised to the people of Pleasanton in 2018.

During covid, Donlon Elementary had 735 students (low enrollment). Additionally, kids from Donlon and Fairlands are pushed to other schools like Mohr and Valley View, and parents must drive them. Schools like Mohr, Walnut Grove and Vintage Hills are also being used as stopover school, that requires much more effort from teachers with students moving in and out of schools frequently. It is affecting kids and their friendships. Redrawing boundaries should also ensure that everyone in the district gets their home school.

PUSD has stated that the number of students has decreased or will decrease, which does not mirror what we are seeing. Also, on the other hand, PUSD has agreed that the number of students in northern Pleasanton is going to increase despite the past two years, which is why they are building classrooms on to Donlon and Fairlands Elementary schools.

PUSD has said that when the state mandated housing will be built soon, developers would provide means to build an elementary school. In the last 22 years there has been enormous number of homes added to Pleasanton, mostly to northern Pleasanton, yet no new schools have been built. The number of students pre-Covid at Donlon Elementary shot up to over 800 students, excluding students that were overflowed to other schools that live within the Donlon Elementary boundaries due to its highest impacted numbers in the district.

·         We are urging PUSD to redraw the boundaries. Take neighborhoods off these impacted schools. Split existing Kindergarten (K) in TK and K.

·         We are urging PUSD to stop building these 14 classrooms. This is fiscally irresponsible and is overcrowding our schools. There is scientific evidence to show that school size adversely affects kids education and development. We do not want Pleasanton to be known for gigantic, overcrowded schools. It also adversely affects the traffic in the neighborhood and entire city.

·         We are urging PUSD to build 10th elementary school in Northern Pleasanton as promised and this promise was made prior to the Housing Element update or Covid. 

If PUSD does not find any land to build necessary schools, then they should stop selling land to developers to build homes. Our students need schools. Please write to your representative’s email address below, that we are not okay with gigantic, overcrowded schools in Pleasanton. Please write/call your board members and show your concern. 

Mark Miller: mark_miller@pleasantonusd.net

Steve Maher: Steve_Maher@pleasantonusd.net
Cell Phone: (925) 321-2691

Mary JO Carreon: mary_jo_carreon@pleasantonusd.net, Cell Phone: (925) 750-8225

Joan Laursen: jlaursen@pleasantonusd.net, (925) 399-1763

Kelly Mokashi: kmokashi@pleasantonusd.net, (908) 812-8919

Annabelle Kim: studentboardtrustee@pleasantonusd.net