AUSD Board Hears Updates on Enrollment, After-School Programs

At its meeting on Tuesday, August 27 , the Alameda Unified School District ( AUSD ) Board of Education discussed student enrollment in schools and after-school programs, and passed a resolution to support voter education for high school students.

Enrollment and after-school updates

Kirsten Zazo, Assistant Superintendent of Education Services, provided a report on enrollment numbers at each school based on the first five days of the 2024-2025 school year. Enrollment was compared against numbers from the previous school year, as well as the projections made for the current school year.

Elementary school enrollment slightly exceeded projections, while middle and high school enrollment fell slightly short of projections. Overall, there are 26 more students enrolled in AUSD schools than was projected. A notable increase of 38 students at Otis Elementary was attributed to the addition of two new Transitional Kindergarten (TK) classes, while a sharp drop in Bay Farm School attendance was expected due to the phasing out of the middle school program .

“The lack of red and green numbers, and the numbers themselves, are something to be incredibly proud of,” commended Board Member Heather Little, as she offered a shout-out to AUSD staff charged with balancing student enrollment.

The District monitors enrollment daily for the first 10 days of school, and class sizes must be balanced by the 20th day to meet class size maximums in accordance with the Alameda Education Association contract.

The Board also received an update on enrollment numbers for the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), which includes after school programs at AUSD elementary and middle schools.

ELOP offers programs that “focus on developing academic, social, emotional, and physical needs and interests of students” and are designed to complement learning activities from the regular school day. The program served nearly 1,000 students during the 2023-24 school year and nearly 500 students at Winter Camp and Summer Camp held at Ruby Bridges Elementary and Love Elementary , respectively.

Resolution to support high school voter education

Earlier in the evening, the Board unanimously approved a resolution to support California High School Education Weeks, which take place during the last two weeks of April and September.

“The youth of California play a critical role in our democracy by helping to choose the people who will lead us and by voicing their opinions on the issues that are important to them and their futures,” the resolution states. But it also notes that voter turnout among young people has “consistently been lowest of all age groups.”

To boost civic participation, AUSD and the League of Women Voters ( LWV ) have been collaborating on student engagement efforts, such as organizing civics education and voter registration in high schools.

During public comment, Linda Bytof, Chair of the Youth Outreach Services Committee for LWV Alameda , offered additional context on the organization’s efforts in schools.

“I am pleased to advise you that this year…we are holding high school registration and pre-registration events at both Encinal and Alameda High during the Advisory periods, where we will give the opportunity to every junior and every senior in the school to register or pre-register to vote,” announced Bytof. “We are probably going to be reaching 1,200 to 1,500 students this year in September.”

Other notable items

During the meeting:

• Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi welcomed several new administrators to AUSD, including principals, assistant principals, and support staff at school sites across Alameda.
• The Board unanimously approved a second resolution to grant the City of Alameda a perpetual permanent easement and right of way behind several classroom buildings at Encinal High School for access to repair and maintain an underground storm drain that currently runs from Central Avenue to San Francisco Bay.

Ken Der is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post . Contact him via ken@alamedapost.com . His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Ken-Der .

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