A detailed look at the PUSD budget
Here is a breakdown of PUSD’s budget (actuals and projected) and funding sources. A full accounting, including presentations to the board, can be found on the PUSD website.
How does this affect fundraising?
School funding can be confusing and frustrating. Here are some of the funding questions we are frequently asked. If you don’t see your question, reach out to us at 510-653-1816 or via email at info@piedmontedfoundation.org.
Why doesn't government funding meet our needs?
California’s government provides less funding per student than almost every other state in the country. When combined with the high cost of living in the Bay Area this funding falls far short of what our children deserve. We urge you to advocate for elected officials to increase funding for our schools. See our advocacy guide for more information.
Why does PUSD outspend revenue?
Many things that parents and guardians consider essential services would not be affordable without community contributions. This includes a low student-to-staff ratio, integration of visual and performing arts, staffed libraries at each school, technology, a broad selection of AP and elective classes, and more. Piedmont parents and the school district agree that these areas are a priority and work together to keep them in our schools.
How do you calculate the per-student funding need?
We use the budget chart above to calculate ‘guaranteed’ revenue from government sources, parcel taxes, and other local sources and subtract total expenses. We divide that remainder by the estimated enrollment. As we are currently fundraising for the 2025-2026 school year, the calculation is:
Cost to educate 1 student: $22,277
Funds from the government: -$13,936
Funds from parcel taxes: -$6,068
The need PER student: $2,274
What happens if the need isn't met?
While the Giving Campaign is the starting point and majority of our grant, PEF, PUSD, and the Parent’s Clubs and Support Groups continue to fundraise throughout the year. All these funding sources combine to help our schools have the resources needed to provide our students with an outstanding education in a supportive and inclusive environment.
But, before PEF embarks on any campaign, we study its feasibility. The staff and board look at past campaigns and speak to donors at various levels to see if there is interest, and if so, how much we can expect to raise. We also look at sustainability. Will the campaign be solving a problem, or just pushing it down the road? We also consider what success looks like in terms of dollars raised and solutions. This, and our long history of giving, allows us to confidently fundraise for the upcoming school year.
The bottom line is that there is no room left for cuts. Over the past few years, PUSD has trimmed the budget by hundreds of thousands of dollars in ongoing reductions. This has been done primarily through attrition – by not filling, or by delaying the filling of certain positions, primarily administrative and maintenance-based. If further reductions need to be made, it will mean a reduction of staff, which will have an impact on student-facing programs and services, class size, electives, and the other specialized programming that sets Piedmont above the bar.
How do parcel taxes and measures fit in?
The voter-approved school parcel taxes in Piedmont provide a stable source of funding that the district needs. For over 40 years Piedmont schools have depended on a local school parcel tax to preserve and maintain essential educational programs and services, and as a critical long-term safeguard against the uncertainties of State funding. Since 1985 when the first parcel tax was passed, Piedmont residents have approved this crucial source of funding nine consecutive times.
On November 5, 2019, Piedmont registered voters approved two school support tax measures. The first renewed and extended Measure A, which was set to expire on June 30, 2021 and provides approximately $10.4 million annually (around 28% of the district’s budget). Measure H assessed an additional 25¢ per building square foot, improving the school district’s ability to more closely align teacher and staff salaries with those of surrounding districts. These taxes began on July 1, 2021.
This year, our community is asked to vote on Measure P. Measure P will replace Measure H and cost property owners 50¢ per square foot of building improvements per year. To learn more about Measure P, please visit their website yesmeasurep.com.
Why can't PEF just raise more money?
Running the Giving Campaign is a full-time job for the PEF staff and the many volunteers who help us. And asking our community for money takes time and effort. For context, it has taken us six years to increase Giving Campaign revenue by $1.5 million.
Each year, we strive to increase funds for our schools. But it is not a job we can do alone. Participation by all families matters and makes a difference.
