Alameda Unified School District
Encyclopedia
The Alameda Unified School District serves the city of Alameda
, California USA.
The school district is a "unified" district (in 1936), meaning that it includes K-8 schools and high schools in the same jurisdiction. As with all California school districts, it is not a part of the city government of Alameda. The school board is elected separately from the Alameda city council, and has been since April 1969. The city council has no direct power over the school board.
The AUSD educates approximately 8,900 students each year, in 10 elementary school
s, 2 middle school
s, and 5 high school
s. The district also operates an Adult School and a "Child Development Center". Three elementary schools were closed at the end of the 2005-2006 school year as a result of decrease in school budget and lack of funding.
In 2009, the District received significant media attention for controversy surrounding an anti-bullying curriculum approved by the Board of Trustees, known as "Lesson 9," which focused on reducing bullying against LGBT
students. The curriculum sparked two lawsuits, which were subsequently dismissed.
1860 Encinal School Located on Lincoln Avenue between Stanton and Paru Streets.
1874 Boehmer's Hall. A rented room on Park Street used a temporary quarters for high school.
1875 Park Street School was closed in 1879 with the opening of Porter School.
1875 Haight School Located at Santa Clara and Chestnut as combination elementary and high school.
1875 West End School Located at Fifth and Pacific.
1879 Porter School Located on Alameda Avenue near oak Street.
1882 Bay Farm Island School Rented building on Bay Farm Island.
1891 Everett School Located at the corner of Eagle Avenue and Everett Street.
1902 Alameda High School Located on Central near Walnut Street.
1909 Washington School Located at Eight and Santa Clara Avenue.
1926 Versailles School Bounded by Versailles, Lincoln, Pearl, and Buena Vista.
1927 Franklin School Located at Franklin Park, housed in a reconstructed cottage.
1944 Webster School Located in the Webster Housing Project.
1944 John Muir School Located in the Estuary Housing Project.
1946 Encinal School Located in the Encinal Housing Project.
1951 Woodstock School Located on Third Street.
1951 Frank Otis School Located on Fillmore Street.
1952 Encinal High School Located at 210 Central Avenue.
1955 William Paden School Located at 444 Central Avenue.
1961 Donald Lum School Located at Otis Street and Sandcreek Avenue.
1977 Lincoln Middle School Located on Fernside and San Jose.
1977 George Miller Elementary School Located at 250 Singleton.
1979 Amelia Earhart Elementary School Located at 400 Packet Landing
1992 Bay Farm Elementary School Located at 200 Aughinbaugh.
2006 Ruby Bridges Elementary Located 351 Jack London Ave.
Listed are former Trustees:
In 1872 Alameda incorporated three communities into the city of Alameda, creating one school board. The city council appointed school board members until 1969.
Listed are Superintendents:
In 1933, the Field Act was passed after an earthquake severely damaged schools in Long Beach. While Federal funds were used rehabilitate some existing schools to comply with the Field Act, a $222,000 bond was passed in 1940. With World War II, Alameda population exploded from 38,000 to 90,000. The federal government built three inexpensive grammar schools to serve children living in federal housing projects that housed the workers for the Naval Air station and shipbuilding yards.
In 1940s, the baby boom was underway with 15,000 Alameda babies being born. In 1948, a $2,840,000 bond measure was passed. The lion share of bond was used to buy land and build Encinal High School. 1n 1951 a survey showed 45 percent of children enrolled in Alameda schools had parents living or working on federally related properties. As a result, the school district received $2,250,000 from the federal government for school construction between 1951 to 1955. In 1953 $3,000,000 in bonds was approved. During the 1950s federal grants and bond revenues totaled $8,500,000.
In 1960s saw a frenzy of demolition and apartment construction in old Alameda and building out of South Shore led to an all-time enrollment high of 12,500 students. In 1967 AB450 required school districts to bring their pre-1933 schools up to structural standards of the 1933 Field Act by 1983 (the deadline was moved up to 1975 the following year). Inspection of Alameda's four pre-1933 schools (Haight, Porter, Lincoln and Alameda High) were ruled unsafe.
In 1964 a $4 million bond issue barely passed. Voters rejected bond measures in 1968, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. During the 1970s the school district had to borrow monies from the state for school construction. In 1989 a $47.7 million bond issue was passed. In 2003 a $53 million bond issue (Measure C) was passed.
A $50 parcel tax failed in 1998. In 2001, a $109 per parcel tax (Measure A) was passed. In 2005, the parcel tax (Measure A) was increased to $189. In 2008, an emergency four year parcel tax (Measure H) was passed. The residential parcel rate was $120 and commercial rate was 15 cents per square foot, minimum of $120 and maximum of $9,500. Two lawsuits were filed challenging the legality of Measure H. Both parcel taxes, Measure A and Measure H, are set to expire in 2012.
In 2010, Measure E, which would have replaced Measures A and H with a new tax, and increased the rate from $309/yr to $659/year for a residential parcel, received 65.6% of the vote, falling short of the 2/3 required to pass.
Following the failure of Measure E in 2010, AUSD placed a new ballot measure, Measure A, on the ballot for March 8th, 2011. The measure as proposed would tax parcels at a nominal rate of 32 cents per building square foot, with a maximum tax of $7,999/year. Parcels with no building improvements would pay a minimum $299/year. The measure passed with 68% vote.
Borikas et al. v. Alameda Unified School District, Alameda County Superior Court, VG08-405316 (Measure H) Superior Court ruled in AUSD favor, June, 2010. Plaintiffs appealed, trial briefs filed January 2011.
Beery et al. v. Alameda Unified School District, Alameda County Superior Court, RG08-405984 (Measure H) Case consolidated with Borikas case
Cook, Dietrich v. Alameda Unified School District, Alameda County Superior Court, RG10-498999 (Alleged open meeting violation pertaining to Lesson 9) Dismissed by judge
Balde v. Alameda Unified School District, Alameda County Superior Court, RG09-468037 (Lesson 9)Judge rules in AUSD favor, November, 2009
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
, California USA.
The school district is a "unified" district (in 1936), meaning that it includes K-8 schools and high schools in the same jurisdiction. As with all California school districts, it is not a part of the city government of Alameda. The school board is elected separately from the Alameda city council, and has been since April 1969. The city council has no direct power over the school board.
The AUSD educates approximately 8,900 students each year, in 10 elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s, 2 middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s, and 5 high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s. The district also operates an Adult School and a "Child Development Center". Three elementary schools were closed at the end of the 2005-2006 school year as a result of decrease in school budget and lack of funding.
In 2009, the District received significant media attention for controversy surrounding an anti-bullying curriculum approved by the Board of Trustees, known as "Lesson 9," which focused on reducing bullying against LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
students. The curriculum sparked two lawsuits, which were subsequently dismissed.
High schools
- Alameda High SchoolAlameda High SchoolAlameda High School is a public coeducational high school serving grades 9-12. It is located in Alameda, California and is part of the Alameda Unified School District.- History :...
- Alameda Science and Technology InstituteAlameda Science and Technology InstituteThe Alameda Science and Technology Institute is an Early College High School in Alameda, California.- School description :Alameda Science and Technology Institute is located on College of Alameda campus in Alameda's West End neighborhood. First opened in 2004, ASTI is a collaboration between...
- Bay Area School of EnterpriseBay Area School of EnterpriseThe Bay Area School of Enterprise, also known as BASE, is a charter high school founded in 2001 in Alameda, California. It is the first youth-created charter high school in the United States. It was created by 10 youth and 2 adults working in the afterschool program HOME Project to create a school...
(Charter school) - Encinal High SchoolEncinal High SchoolEncinal High School is a public coeducational high school serving grades 9-12. It is located in Alameda, California and is part of the Alameda Unified School District.-Threatened closure:...
- Island High SchoolIsland High SchoolIsland High School is a public coeducational high school serving grades 9-12. It is located in Alameda, California and is part of the Alameda Unified School District. Island High only admits students that are at least sixteen years old.-Summary:...
(Continuation school)
Middle schools
- Lincoln Middle School
- The Academy of Alameda (Charter school; formerly Chipman Middle School)
- Will C. Wood Middle School
Elementary schools
- Amelia Earhart Elementary School
- Bay Farm Elementary School
- Donald D. Lum Elementary School
- Edison Elementary School
- Frank Otis Elementary School
- Franklin Elementary School
- Henry Haight Elementary School
- Paden Elementary School
- Ruby Bridges Elementary School
- Washington Elementary School
History of Alameda Schools
1855 Schermerhorn School located on west side of Court, between Van Buren and Jackson Street.- 1864 Alameda School replaces Schermerhorn School.
- 1892 Wilson School replaced Alameda School with an eight-classroom school.
- 1911 Name changed from Wilson School to Lincoln.
- 1917 The Lincoln School is rebuilt.
1860 Encinal School Located on Lincoln Avenue between Stanton and Paru Streets.
- 1865 A two-room building erected on the northwest corner of Bay Street and Santa Clara. This structure replaces Encinal School on Lincoln.
- 1891 A new eight-room building was opened.
- 1901 Name changed from Encinal to Mastick School.
- 1939 New structure replaces 1891 structure.
- 1970s K-4 Elementary is closed.
- 1980 School is closed and the city is operated by city under a 20-year lease.
- 2000 City assumes ownership and continues operation of Mastick Senior Center.
1874 Boehmer's Hall. A rented room on Park Street used a temporary quarters for high school.
1875 Park Street School was closed in 1879 with the opening of Porter School.
1875 Haight School Located at Santa Clara and Chestnut as combination elementary and high school.
- 1900 High school classes moved from Haight School to Porter School.
- 1911 A new fire-resistant school is built to replace the 1875 structure.
- 1973 School is demolished.
- 1975 Haight School is rebuilt and opened in 1976.
- 2006 Haight School is closed for one year to make seismic upgrades.
1875 West End School Located at Fifth and Pacific.
- 1895 Name changed to Longfellow School. A ten classroom replaces 1875 structure.
- 1942 A new structure replaces the 1895 structure.
- 1951 Ten new classrooms are added. Also added a multi-purpose room.
- 2006 School is closed.
- 2009 Nea Charter School moves onto the site.
- 2011 Woodstock Child Development Center is relocated to the site.
1879 Porter School Located on Alameda Avenue near oak Street.
- 1916 A new structure replaces the 1879 structure.
- 1973 Fire destroys the school.
1882 Bay Farm Island School Rented building on Bay Farm Island.
- 1890 School is closed and student bussed to schools on the East End.
- 1961 Three buses were transporting 194 students to Alameda from Bay Farm.
1891 Everett School Located at the corner of Eagle Avenue and Everett Street.
- 1971 Old school is demolished and Island High is opened with four portables.
- 2006 Island High is reolcated to the George Miller Elementary School site.
1902 Alameda High School Located on Central near Walnut Street.
- 1926 New building replaces the 1902 structure.
- 1977 The historical building on Central is closed to students. The new building on the corner of Encinal and Walnut opens.
- 1991 The East Wing of Central building is renovated to meet Field Act standards and students begin using classrooms.
1909 Washington School Located at Eight and Santa Clara Avenue.
- 1957 New building replaces the 1909 structure.
1926 Versailles School Bounded by Versailles, Lincoln, Pearl, and Buena Vista.
- 1942 New building replaces 1926 structures and is renamed Edison School.
1927 Franklin School Located at Franklin Park, housed in a reconstructed cottage.
- 1930 Mr. Sadler's home is purchased and remodeled for a school and renamed Sadler School.
- 1951 New structure replaces the 1930 structure and renamed to Franklin School.
- 1984 School is closed
- 1994 School is reopened.
1944 Webster School Located in the Webster Housing Project.
- 1958 School is closed.
1944 John Muir School Located in the Estuary Housing Project.
- 196x School is closed.
1946 Encinal School Located in the Encinal Housing Project.
- 1953 School renamed to Burbank School.
- 1955 School is closed.
1951 Woodstock School Located on Third Street.
- 2006 School is closed.
- 2006 Site is temporarily used as location of Haight School while the actual Haight School is under renovation.
- 2007 New site of Bay Area School of Enterprise (BASE)
- 2011 Island High School is relocated from Goerge Miller school site.
1951 Frank Otis School Located on Fillmore Street.
1952 Encinal High School Located at 210 Central Avenue.
1955 William Paden School Located at 444 Central Avenue.
- 1984 Closed an elementary school.
- 1992 Reopened as an elementary school. Eventually changed to K-8.
- 2006 Grades 6-8 are closed.
1961 Donald Lum School Located at Otis Street and Sandcreek Avenue.
1977 Lincoln Middle School Located on Fernside and San Jose.
1977 George Miller Elementary School Located at 250 Singleton.
- 2006 School closed
- 2008 Island High School moved onto the campus.
- 2011 Site abandoned by school ditrict as infrastructure upgrades were cost prohibitive.
1979 Amelia Earhart Elementary School Located at 400 Packet Landing
1992 Bay Farm Elementary School Located at 200 Aughinbaugh.
2006 Ruby Bridges Elementary Located 351 Jack London Ave.
Alameda Board of Education
Listed is the current board and their terms:- Ron Mooney, President 2009-2012
- Margie Sherratt, Vice President 2011-2014
- Trish Herrera Spencer, Trustee 2009-2012
- Mike McMahon, Trustee 2003-2014
- Niel Tam, Trustee 2009-2012
Listed are former Trustees:
- Tracy Jensen, 2003-2010
- Bill Schaff, 2005–2008
- David Forbes, 2005–2008
- Janet Gibson 2001-2008
- Bob Reeves, 2001–2004
- Barbara Guenther, 1997–2004
- Anna Elefant, 1995–2002
- Berresford Bingham, 1995–2002
- Larry Spencer, 1997–2000
- Gail Greely, 1993–2000
- Marge Rose 1991-1994
- Sam Huie, Appointed 1985-1995
- Bill Garvine 1989-1992
- Barbara Rasmussen 1989-1992
- Sandra Moser 1981-1987
- Donald MacDowell 1987-1992
- Gig Codiga 1983-1991
- William Manning Appointed 1982 - Resigned 1985
- William Paden 1981-1986
- Richard Thomas 1981-1989
- Donald Cummins 1979- Resigned 1982
- Elaine Kurlisnki 1977-1981
- William Hargraves Jr. 1977-1981
- Barbara Borden 1975-1983
- Lois Hanna 1977-1981
- Ann Muir 1975-1979
- Robert Selmer 1974-1975
- Ian Weber 1973-1977
- Lee Simpson 1971-1974
- James Nolin 1969-1977
- Joyce Denyven 1969-1977
- Hebert Robles 1969-1971
- Marion Cavanaugh 1968-1972
- Richard Bartalini 1965-1972
- Frank Weeden 1963-1969
- Jack Lubbock 1961-1968
- C.D. Ramsden 1961-1968
- Lee Cavanaugh 1953-1968
- Stuart Stephens M.D. 1953-1961
- Marion Rosefield 1951-1953
- Walter Howe 1951-1962
- R.E. Bossard 1949-1951
- Harry Pennell 1949-1952
- A.H Moffit, Jr. 1946-1964
- M.C. Godfrey 1946-1951
- Dr. Donald Lum 1944-1963
- William Hutchings 1944-1948
- R.E. Bosshard 1944-1948
- Dr. Alice Burke 1942-1946
In 1872 Alameda incorporated three communities into the city of Alameda, creating one school board. The city council appointed school board members until 1969.
- C.L. Fitch(Encinal School District) 1860
- Louis Fassking(Encinal School District) 1860
- J.D Brower(Encinal School District) 1860
- James Millington (Alameda Township) 1855
- E.M Taft(Alameda Township) 1855
- James Stratton(Alameda Township)1855
Listed are Superintendents:
- Kirsten Vital 2008-
- Ardella Dailey 2005-2008
- Alan Nishino 2000-2005
- Dennis Chaconas 1992-2000
- John Searles 198x-1992
- Clarence Cline 197x-198x
- Robert McConnell 1971-197x
- Donald Roderick 196x-1970
Bond/Parcel Measures
The first school bond measure was passed 1874 and build the city's first high school and the main grammar school located on Chestnut and Santa Clara. In addition, the 1874 bond purchased property at Fifth and Pacific Ave and a school opened in 1875. In 1878 the next bond measure was used to purchase six lots on the south side of Alameda Avenue between Oak and Walnut. Porter School opened 1879. Additional bonds were issued 1894 to build four new schools. In 1901 high school students campaigned vigorously to get a bond measure to build a new $65,000 high school. Bonds elections in 1907, 1909 and 1915 funded the most ambitious building campaign. Three old schools were replaced with new structures and one new school was built. Voters passed a $750,000 bond in 1923 (supplemented with an additional $350,000 in 1925). As a result, construction of Alameda High School started in November, 1924 and opened in August, 1926.In 1933, the Field Act was passed after an earthquake severely damaged schools in Long Beach. While Federal funds were used rehabilitate some existing schools to comply with the Field Act, a $222,000 bond was passed in 1940. With World War II, Alameda population exploded from 38,000 to 90,000. The federal government built three inexpensive grammar schools to serve children living in federal housing projects that housed the workers for the Naval Air station and shipbuilding yards.
In 1940s, the baby boom was underway with 15,000 Alameda babies being born. In 1948, a $2,840,000 bond measure was passed. The lion share of bond was used to buy land and build Encinal High School. 1n 1951 a survey showed 45 percent of children enrolled in Alameda schools had parents living or working on federally related properties. As a result, the school district received $2,250,000 from the federal government for school construction between 1951 to 1955. In 1953 $3,000,000 in bonds was approved. During the 1950s federal grants and bond revenues totaled $8,500,000.
In 1960s saw a frenzy of demolition and apartment construction in old Alameda and building out of South Shore led to an all-time enrollment high of 12,500 students. In 1967 AB450 required school districts to bring their pre-1933 schools up to structural standards of the 1933 Field Act by 1983 (the deadline was moved up to 1975 the following year). Inspection of Alameda's four pre-1933 schools (Haight, Porter, Lincoln and Alameda High) were ruled unsafe.
In 1964 a $4 million bond issue barely passed. Voters rejected bond measures in 1968, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. During the 1970s the school district had to borrow monies from the state for school construction. In 1989 a $47.7 million bond issue was passed. In 2003 a $53 million bond issue (Measure C) was passed.
A $50 parcel tax failed in 1998. In 2001, a $109 per parcel tax (Measure A) was passed. In 2005, the parcel tax (Measure A) was increased to $189. In 2008, an emergency four year parcel tax (Measure H) was passed. The residential parcel rate was $120 and commercial rate was 15 cents per square foot, minimum of $120 and maximum of $9,500. Two lawsuits were filed challenging the legality of Measure H. Both parcel taxes, Measure A and Measure H, are set to expire in 2012.
In 2010, Measure E, which would have replaced Measures A and H with a new tax, and increased the rate from $309/yr to $659/year for a residential parcel, received 65.6% of the vote, falling short of the 2/3 required to pass.
Following the failure of Measure E in 2010, AUSD placed a new ballot measure, Measure A, on the ballot for March 8th, 2011. The measure as proposed would tax parcels at a nominal rate of 32 cents per building square foot, with a maximum tax of $7,999/year. Parcels with no building improvements would pay a minimum $299/year. The measure passed with 68% vote.
Lawsuits
Nelco, Inc. v. Alameda Unified School District, Alameda County Superior Court, #RG 08-405984 (Measure A) Superior Court ruled in AUSD favor, September, 2011.Borikas et al. v. Alameda Unified School District, Alameda County Superior Court, VG08-405316 (Measure H) Superior Court ruled in AUSD favor, June, 2010. Plaintiffs appealed, trial briefs filed January 2011.
Beery et al. v. Alameda Unified School District, Alameda County Superior Court, RG08-405984 (Measure H) Case consolidated with Borikas case
Cook, Dietrich v. Alameda Unified School District, Alameda County Superior Court, RG10-498999 (Alleged open meeting violation pertaining to Lesson 9) Dismissed by judge
Balde v. Alameda Unified School District, Alameda County Superior Court, RG09-468037 (Lesson 9)Judge rules in AUSD favor, November, 2009
External links
- Alameda Unified School District
- API Test scores for schools in Alameda USD
- Alameda Education Foundation
- Trustee McMahon's Website
- Ed-Data website report on Alameda Unified School District
- Dropouts by grade, ethnicity
- Alameda City Unified School District Schools Test scores, parent review, school ratings and teacher / student stats for schools in Alameda City Unified School District.
- Wiki for AUSD