Patch Primer: Alameda Public Schools

Though facings severe budget shortfalls like districts statewide, the Alameda Unified School District has enjoyed a good reputation in the region. Many families have moved to the Island to send their children to one of the district's neighborhood elementary schools, and older students  have several public and charter school options. 

"It's a suburban/urban district that serves a wide range of both high socioeconomic kids on one side of the island and lower socioeconomic kids on the other end," said school board member Mike McMahon. "There are more small elementary schools than in other places and that's what makes it unique—there's a small neighborhood school within walking distance from most kids."

Encinal and Alameda High Schools are the largest schools in the district, Encinal has over a thousand students and Alameda has close to two thousand. The district also has smaller charter schools and special programs with enrollments of fewer than 200 students.  The largest elementary school is Earhart, with about 600 students, but most elementary schools on the island have a third fewer students.

Elementary Schools

Amelia Earhart Elementary (400 Packet Landing Rd, 602 students)

Bay Farm Elementary (200 Aughinbaugh Way, 503 students)

Edison Elementary (2700 Buena Vista Ave, 391 students)

Franklin Elementary (1433 San Antonio Ave, 274)

Henry Haight Elementary (2025 Santa Clara Ave, 435 students)

Donald Lum Elementary (1801 Sandcreek Way, 488 students)

Otis Elementary (3010 Fillmore St, 424 students)

Paden Elementary (444 Central Ave, 354 students)

Ruby Bridges Elementary (351 Jack London Ave, 547 students)

Washington Elementary (825 Taylor Ave, 343 students)

 Nea Community Learning Center (a charter school which opened in fall 2009 on 500 Pacific Ave., 290 students in grades K-10)

Middle Schools 

Lincoln Middle School (1250 Fernside Blvd., 974 students)

Wood Middle School (420 Grand St, 625 students)

Alameda Community Learning Center (a charter school housed at Encinal High on Central Ave., 245 students in grades 6-12)

The Academy of Alameda (This charter school replaced Chipman Middle School at 401 Pacific Ave., 618 students.)

Nea Community Learning Center (a charter school which opened in fall 2009 on 500 Pacific Ave., 290 students in grades K-10)

High Schools

Alameda High School (2201 Encinal Ave., 1,892 students)

Encinal High School (210 Central Ave., 1099 students)

Alameda Science and Technology Institute (555 Atlantic Ave. 151 Students in grades 10-12)

Alameda Community Learning Center (housed at Encinal on Central Ave., 245 students in grades 6-12)

Island High School (250 Singleton Ave, 194 students)

Bay Area School of Enterprise (1900 Third St.)

Budget Basics:  Several of the public schools in Alameda qualify for Title I funding, a program which provides federal funds to help higher poverty schools provide supplemental educational services to disadvantaged students. The district has focused its use of Title I funds on the elementary level. 

Alameda is a relatively low-wealth district. Its per pupil spending is in the bottom two thirds of the county, but is average compared to the rest of the state.

The district employs slightly fewer than 600 teachers, but this number is steadily declining because of budget cuts. The average teacher salary is around $65,000. For many years, the district had a ratio of 20 students per teacher for kindergarten through thirds grade classes, but as of the 2010-2011 school year, the ratio increased to 25 students per teacher. Other grade levels have tended to have 29 or 30 students to a class, but this will be increasing to 32 in the coming years. High school classes will be increasing to roughly 35 students to a class.  

The district had a $87 million dollar budget in the 2005-06 school year. As of the summer of 2010, the budget for the 2010-11 school year was $83 million. After the failure of Measure E in June, 2010, the school board slashed the district's budget by more than $7 million.

Among other things, the board increased class sized by as much as five students to a class, cut many counselors for middle and high schools, and shortened the school year. Students will now attend school for 175 days a year, a week less than the national average.

School board member Mike McMahon characterized the district's financial situation as average.

"The fact that the community right now is supporting us with $7 million in parcel tax money has been able to delay some cuts," he said.

In the past five years, the district has lost many administrative positions and has instituted a policy of moving students to ensure that all classrooms are filled to capacity.