PAUSD Weekly Update - September 25, 2026

Sep 25 2026

From the Office of the Superintendent

Superintendent Glass' Message . . .

Dear PAUSD Community,

This week brought the fall equinox, and from here our days grow shorter until the winter solstice in December. When clocks fall back on November 1, many students will be walking and biking home in fading light - and this community has a lot of bikes! Please help them be seen with bike lights and reflective gear, and give a little extra patience and care behind the wheel near our schools.

This week I also had the privilege of listening to Gunn students at their Titan Town Hall and to parents of students in special education. Thank you for your candor, which is exactly what helps us improve.

Two items in this week's update focus on transparency: an external review of our budget projections, and the rules that keep our schools neutral during elections.

Checking Our Budget Math: An Independent Review

I know budget news can feel unsettling, so I want to be honest with you about where we are. PAUSD is spending more each year than it brings in, and that gap is about to grow.

Most of our budget is people, the talented teachers and staff who serve our students. PAUSD has chosen to pay competitively in one of the most expensive regions in the country, because great schools depend on great people. Along with rising health care and benefit costs, that means our expenses are growing faster than our revenue. At the same time, our local parcel tax, Measure O, provides about $17 million a year and expires at the end of this school year.

Left unaddressed, this gap grows every year, so we are planning budget reductions for next school year. These decisions will touch students, families, and staff, and I don't take that lightly. The numbers behind them need to be right, and you deserve to be able to trust them.

Every budget depends on forecasts, such as how quickly property tax revenue will grow and how many open positions we expect to fill. Members of our community, including our staff, have asked thoughtful questions about those assumptions, and I'm grateful they did.

So we asked School Services of California (SSC), a firm that advises school districts across the state on budgets, to take an independent look. SSC will check whether our assumptions are reasonable and show how our outlook changes if things turn out better or worse than we expect. Unlike our annual audit, which reviews money already spent, this review looks ahead. How large our reductions need to be will depend in part on what SSC finds.

SSC will present its findings at a public Board meeting later this fall. Our employee associations have been invited to submit questions, and we will publish the key assumptions behind our projections so anyone can see how we reached our numbers.

This review lays the foundation for the harder work ahead: deciding together how we protect what matters most for our students. We will get this right and put our schools on a stable financial footing.

Election Season: What Our Schools Can and Cannot Do

Election season is upon us, and the November 3 General Election includes races for the PAUSD Board of Education. Our schools serve everyone, so state law and our Board policy (BP 1160 and BP/AR 4119.25) keep the District neutral in elections. Here is what that means in practice.

The District and its schools cannot:

Use district funds, staff work time, equipment, or supplies to support or oppose any candidate or ballot measure
Distribute campaign materials through district email, ParentSquare, Schoology, staff mailboxes, or on school property
Use students to write, address, or distribute campaign materials
Present one side of a candidate race or ballot measure in class without giving equal time to all perspectives
Allow staff to wear campaign buttons or clothing during instructional time

The District can:

Provide fair, impartial information about ballot measures and how they affect our schools
Discuss ballot measures at open, agendized Board meetings, where the Board may take a position after hearing from all sides in public comment

Staff members keep their rights as citizens. They may take part in campaigns on their own time, at their own expense, and as individuals, not as representatives of the District. Students keep their own free expression rights under Board policy.

This fall, we learned that a career opportunities presentation shared with students, in this and prior years, included listings inviting students to intern or volunteer with political campaigns. We removed that content, notified this year's audience, and are clarifying these rules with staff and families through this update.

If you have a concern, please contact me at jglass@pausd.org.

Kind regards,

Jason E. Glass, Ed.D.
Superintendent & Chief Learner

Suicide Prevention Month: Supporting Student Wellness Across PAUSD

In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month, PAUSD high schools hosted a variety of interactive events, educational workshops, and resource fairs while rolling out specialized peer-support training programs.

Palo Alto High School: This month, Paly Wellness focused on suicide awareness, skill-building, and connecting students with resources. Activities included suicide prevention messaging through social media and a PRIME session focused on self-compassion and healthy coping.

Paly Wellness also hosted the first Resource Pop-Up event of the year, providing students with suicide prevention resources and information. Monthly Resource Pop-Ups featuring visits from community partners like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will continue throughout the school year, reflecting the approach that suicide prevention is a year-round effort and giving students ongoing opportunities to connect with resources and support. Paly will begin its suicide prevention training, Be Sensitive, Be Brave, in October.

Gunn High School: The Gunn Wellness Center team highlighted the importance of connection, community, and normalizing discussions about mental health and suicide. The team decorated the Wellness Center in teal and purple awareness decor and hosted events both in the center and across campus. Activities included pop-up tabling, affirmation writing, friendship bracelet making, and a word search to create connection and familiarity.

Gunn also hosted its annual Titan Wellness Fair, bringing together local youth and mental health organizations including Children's Health Council (CHC), NAMI, Youth Community Service (YCS), SafeSpace, and Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS), alongside student clubs and the Wellness Team. Additionally, Wellness hosted a PRIME workshop on debunking suicide myths, held rock painting and movie sessions in the center, and led Teen Mental Health First Aid training for juniors and seniors.

Palo Alto Middle College: Palo Alto Middle College focused its prevention efforts on student training and education. Through the Teen Mental Health First Aid program, 52 students completed the training to become certified in recognizing signs of mental health challenges and supporting peers in need. Additional students will receive the training in the second semester. Additionally, all students visited the Foothill Mental Health and Wellness Center as part of an on-campus scavenger hunt field trip prior to the start of college classes.

Congratulations to the Gunn Chamber Orchestra!

A huge thank you to our Gunn Chamber Orchestra students, along with their teachers, Tiffany Ou-Ponticelli and Felipe Morales-Torres, for their outstanding performance at the Tuesday, September 16th PAUSD Board of Education meeting. The students performed “Presto” from Symphony, Op. 11, No. 2 by Joseph Bologne, arranged by Jennifer Meckler.

We would also like to congratulate them on being selected as an Invited Performing Ensemble for the 2027 California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC) in Sacramento this January. Being one of only two high school orchestras selected from across California is a tremendous honor and a wonderful recognition of the students’ hard work, artistry, and dedication.

As they prepare an ambitious and richly varied program for this special event, we are incredibly proud to have them represent Gunn High School and showcase the excellence of PAUSD Visual and Performing Arts to educators from across California.

Intentional Technology Use Ad Hoc Committee Application Forms

The Intentional Technology Use Ad Hoc Committee’s charge and areas of consideration are now available on the PAUSD Website. If you are interested in joining the committee, please apply below.

Palo Alto Community Application

PAUSD Intentional Technology Use Ad Hoc Committee Volunteer Application Form for Palo Alto Community

PAUSD Student Application

PAUSD Intentional Technology Use Ad Hoc Committee Volunteer Application Form for PAUSD Students

PAUSD Staff Application

PAUSD Intentional Technology Use Ad Hoc Committee Volunteer Application Form for Staff

Applications open until Friday, October 16, 2026.