PAUSD Weekly Update - August 21, 2026
PAUSD Weekly Update - August 21, 2026
From the Office of the Superintendent
Superintendent Glass' Message . . .
The Budget: Where We Stand
This is week two of school, and I would rather be writing to you about classrooms and the terrific work our students and staff are already doing. But you will hear a great deal about our finances over the coming months, from us and from others, and I would rather the first version you hear come from me.
On Tuesday the Board received our closing report on 2025-26 (presentation and video). Our ending fund balance came in about $18.8 million lower than the year before, which is what happens when expenditures outpace revenues. Our Chief Business Officer, Charen Yu, walked the Board through the details.
The problem is structural, not a one-year event. Our best estimate today is that we will need roughly $33 million in ongoing reductions for 2027-28. That number will move as property tax revenue, the parcel tax, some state funding, and the expense controls we are putting in place now come into focus, and as the Board makes decisions it has not yet made. I expect it to change more than once. I would rather give you an early number and revise it in public than wait until I have a comfortable one.
To be clear, the district is not insolvent. We have what we need to get through this school year without significant disruption. It is the next two budget years where the hard decisions live.
What is not likely to change is the direction. Reductions of this size reach people, programs, and schools. We do not solve this by turning off lights or using less paper. These reductions will reach central administration, and already have, but they are too large to be managed at the district level alone.
Some of this is about aligning our resources to a district that has changed. We enroll roughly two thousand fewer students than we did a decade ago, and our staffing has not fully followed. Our cost per student has risen without anyone ever deciding it should. Part of the work ahead is examining whether we can deliver our programs and services in a more efficient way, and being honest with ourselves when the answer is that we are organized around a district we used to be.
So I want to be clear about the lens we will use. Every reduction will be weighed first by what it does to the learning experience of our students. That does not mean nothing touching students will change, because at this scale something will. It means we look furthest from the classroom first, and anything that reaches a student has to be justified against what it protects.
Two things about our money are worth knowing. We hold one-time funds restricted by law for construction and site upkeep, and they cannot be moved to cover ongoing costs. And a savings that happens once is not the same as one that happens every year. Only the second kind closes a gap like ours. You will hear both called solutions this year.
Our existing parcel tax expires at the end of 2026-27. At roughly $17 million a year, it is the single largest lever we have, and it is not large enough on its own to close this gap. Whether to place a renewal before voters this spring is the Board's decision, and it has not been made. My job is to make sure you have accurate information about what a renewal would and would not do, and ultimately the decision on any parcel tax rests with the voters.
There is a real conversation happening about how we got here, much of it about last year's labor settlement. That agreement is one factor. So are rising costs across nearly every line of a district budget, and revenue that has not kept pace. The settlement was reached lawfully, approved publicly, by people on both sides of the table working in good faith on behalf of the same students. We can spend a lot of time arguing about those decisions. That is not helpful. The decisions that matter now are ahead of us, not behind, and that is where I intend to keep this community's attention.
Here is my commitment. We will engage this community directly and honestly, in more than one format, and we will answer questions. It matters that we are all working from the same numbers and the same assumptions. If you think we have something wrong, we want to know. Building trust and credibility is part of this effort, and I understand we have to earn that.
With most of our budget going to people, at some point these decisions reach jobs. I told the Board we will do everything within our control to limit the impact on our students and our staff, and we will. I also want to be clear-eyed with you about the size of what is ahead. Anger and fear are normal responses, and I will not treat them as opposition. For the people who work here, this is deeply personal. We will treat every person in this with dignity and respect. And I want to hear ideas about how we solve it, including ones we have not thought of.
I know this is a heavy message for the second week of school. This district has come through hard stretches before, and not by luck. It happened because people here decided it would, and that is our responsibility now. Several people have asked me since Tuesday whether I regret coming to Palo Alto. Without reservation, no. I am grateful to be here, and to be taking up this work alongside you.
Kind regards,
Jason E. Glass, Ed.D.
Superintendent & Chief Learner
PAUSD Awarded $48,643 Perkins Grant to Strengthen Career and Technical Education Programs for 2026-27
The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, commonly known as the Perkins Act, is a federal law that provides funding to support Career Technical Education (CTE) programs at the state and local levels across the United States. It reflects the 100-year federal commitment to Career Technical Education (CTE) by providing federal support for CTE programs and focusing on improving the academic and technical achievement of CTE learners, strengthening the connections between secondary and postsecondary education, and improving accountability. Perkins V affords states and local communities the opportunity to improve the quality of CTE programs, enhance student outcomes, and help prepare students for careers in various industries.
PAUSD has been awarded $48,643 for the 2026-27 school year, with the grant term ending June 30, 2027.
Discover Something New at Palo Alto Adult School!
Looking for a fun, meaningful way to learn, connect, and grow this fall? Check out the latest course offering at Palo Alto Adult School!
We offer a variety of new and returning classes at different dates, times, and time commitments for adult learners. Explore a self-care workshop, make a paperweight through glassblowing, or meet new friends through our Nature Hike series. If you want to build new workforce skills, consider a career training, writing, or specialized course.
Classes begin September 8; register today and make this fall a season of learning, creativity, and connection!
We hope to see you in class!
Student Nutrition Services
Special Education - SEPTA Family Fun Day
Date: Sat, Aug 29
Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: Ohlone ES Inclusive Playground (Map) 950 Amarillo Ave
RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/wb9v3d7r ( Please RSVP for Activity and Food Prep)
Flyer: https://tinyurl.com/ymfmemua
Kick off the new school year with us! All children and youth with special needs and neurodiversity—along with their families and friends—are invited to our Family Fun Day Back to School Gathering.
We’ll have fun activities, treats, and time to socialize and connect. Our new Superintendent, Dr. Glass, Assistant Superintendent Lana Conaway, School Principals, and Board of Trustees will join us as well.
Organized by the Palo Alto Special Ed PTA (SEPTA) and co-sponsored by PAUSD. Contact: admin@paloaltosepta.org
