The Pleasanton Unified School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved the construction contract for the first phase of the transitional kindergarten (TK) project at Valley View Elementary School during a recent special board meeting.
During the April 24 meeting, the board celebrated that building new Kids Club portables as part of phase one of the expansion project will help create space for disenfranchised students to get into the program. However, they also acknowledged the recent discourse surrounding the removal of the school’s garden and ongoing discussions the district has had with stakeholders in order to ensure the garden is relocated.
The expansion of transitional kindergarten space across all PUSD elementary schools was one of the key projects listed under the $395 million Measure I school bond program, which voters approved in 2022. Since the bond’s approval, the district has been working on the project designs for all the schools.
PUSD Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Ahmad Sheikholeslami reminded the board that the Valley View TK extension project has already gone through a planning process and the project’s plans have been reviewed by the district’s facility committee.
Sheikholeslami also said the board had already approved the project design and that the district is now in the implementation phase of the project. Specifically, the district is moving forward with the first phase of the project’s design — the second phase, which includes the relocation of the garden, is still under review by California’s Division of the State Architect.
The dais specifically approved a contract on April 24 with S&H Construction, a contractor based in Fremont, for the construction of the first increment of the transitional kindergarten building project at Valley View.
According to the staff report, the board had approved an architectural agreement for the project back in August 2024 and on Dec. 12, the trustees authorized an amendment to the contract to break up the project into two increments so students could retain access to playground space during construction.
Aaron Kael — PUSD’s executive director of facilities, construction and bond program —clarified the scope of work for the increment one phase includes installation of new Kids Club portables; the underground utilities that will help set the foundation for the new building that will be constructed as part of phase two; and the installation of a playground, which the board previously approved, that will be for both TK kids and kindergarten students.
Phase two will mostly focus on the construction of the new building. The report states that the entire project is estimated to cost approximately $2.46 million.
“This is an extension of all the planning and the communication and coordination that we’ve been doing over the last, probably, 18 months,” Kael said in regards to the phase one construction contract.
Kael said the goal is to be done with the playground in time for the new school year in the fall. He also said during the summer, the district will bring the phase two construction to the board for approval so that it can begin this fall with the goal to be completed the following fall.
Kael emphasized that the expansion of the Kids Club program at Valley View is a piece of good news that might otherwise be overlooked as part of the overall project. Kids Club, Kael said, provides after school care, help with school work and a sense of community for kids.
“Right now we have about 184 kids on the Kids Club wait list — 66 of which are unduplicated,” Kael said.
Unduplicated students refers to disenfranchised, at risk kids who might be experiencing homelessness or come from low income families.
“This expansion is going to help us create capacity for 50 more students so almost all of those unduplicated students are going to receive an opportunity to join Kids Club,” Kael said.
Trustee Charlie Jones said being able to add 50 more kids to the program “is phenomenal.”
But while the trustees lauded the addition of more space for Kids Club, many also recognized the comments brought forward by several parents during the board’s March 13 meeting where they said they felt the district wasn’t being transparent enough with the project’s design process. The future of the garden, in particular, was a key point of contention at the time.
Kael confirmed to the board and the community that the garden is simply being relocated and that he can assure the district will fund that relocation.
“We’ve really reinforced the fact that that garden is funded on many occasions,” Kael said. “Again, tonight, I think we are all reaffirming that that garden is funded.”
He also said the district has continued to have meetings with the Valley View community and has met with staff to provide updates on the project. They also began the garden site committee process.
He said the plan is to have two additional meetings with the garden site committee so that the district can finalize those plans. Among the topics discussed within the committee is where on campus to relocate the garden. One idea, for example, is to move it to a grassy area at the back of the school.
Kael also said the plan is to use the garden as an outdoor classroom, which is something the school’s PTA has asked for in the past.
Jones asked district staff if it was possible to schedule a town hall meeting to update the school community about the overall project.
“I think it’s important for the parents to see exactly the humanity part of (the project) and then also I think they want reassurance that the relocation of their garden is fully funded,” Trustee Laurie Walker said.
Kael said a future town hall meeting would be possible, but noted that the district has already been meeting with some people and staff have been strategically posting renderings and design plans around the school. Dates for the proposed town hall were not discussed.
Board Vice President Kelly Mokashi noted near the end of the meeting that the district needs to make sure it will have enough money in its contingency budget for the project in case the garden design — which would come to the board for approval at a later time — ends up being more costly than originally anticipated.
“I don’t have a problem approving this contract but it needs to be non-negotiable that we’ll be funding that garden, wherever that may be and that there’s (not going to be) a situation where it comes back to the board saying ‘sorry other funding came up and we’re not going to be able to do it,’ ” Mokashi said.
Kael again reassured the board that the garden is going to be funded but the first step is to determine where on campus it’s moving to.
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