Meet The Livermore School Board Candidate: Tara Boyce

LIVERMORE, CA — Patch reached out to all candidates for the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees Areas 2, 3, and 5 with questions we feel San Ramon voters want to know. This is the first LVJUSD Board election with districts.

We reprinted their answers verbatim.

Below, read the responses of Tara Boyce, a technology professional who previously worked in finance and accounting running to represent Area 2.

What is your educational background?

I have a BA in Economics and Political Science with a minor in Gender Studies and an MBA with concentrations in Accounting and Marketing. I spent my younger years in public schools outside of Scranton, PA.

What is your professional background?

I started my career in Finance Operations, including Treasury, Accounts Payable, Accounting, Financial Planning and Analysis. With my move to CA from PA, I transitioned to the technology sector designing and optimizing software these groups use to run organizations.

Have you ever held public office, whether appointive or elective?

No

What are the top three issues facing LVJUSD right now?

1. Budget and Reserves. Evaluate current programs against expected outcomes. Not approve any net new program with a demonstrated need, a defined budget, and a rubric that tracks metrics over time to evaluate success. 2. Student safety and technology. We need a robust policy, from our youngest to oldest students, covering classroom screens, personal devices brought from home, and any student-facing AI features. 3. Aging campuses. Many campuses have deferred maintenance, and some need full refurbishment. The district needs to make the case to the community that the bond is a must in 2028. For this, a meaningful update to our master plan with input from identified campuses so every $1 of the bond is spent with the intention of delivering a world-class education to every child.

What is one specific action you would prioritize during your first year in office?

Rebuilding trust that was broken over the last two Superintendent Administration which will allow us to once again become a district which attracts and retains top talent to increase the quality of education received by our students. This can only be done with a Board comprised of various skills coming together to form one unit, support and holding accountable our Superintendent as they start their tenure with LVJUSD.

LVJUSD approved nearly $15 million in ongoing budget reductions for 2026–27. Which reductions do you support, oppose or hope eventually to restore, and how would you pay for any restoration?

The reductions were necessary to get us out of a qualified status as we moved forward. I didn't support or not any one reduction, but instead supported the development of a process where cabinet, labor, and board worked together to identify items that could be reduced with the least effect on the classrooms. Some reductions have come back both last year and in the summer, but any further reinstatement of items needs to be balanced with newly identified needs and be worked through in the same group that compiled the final tiered list of reductions in the Spring.

This is LVJUSD’s first election using trustee areas. What unmet need do you see in your trustee area, and how would you advocate for it while still governing on behalf of the entire district?

Because my area contains both Title 1 schools, the needs are many. Marilyn has benefited greatly from our last bond with the build out of their STEAM academy. In the next four years, we need to pass another bond so Junction's TK-8 campus can benefit in the same way. After-school childcare is a focus for all campuses with young children as wait lists are long and many families are not being accommodated. I have spent my career focusing on the fine details while keeping large projects moving forward, and my time as a Trustee will be no different.

Why do you feel you're a better candidate than your opponents?

I have had a direct stake in Livermore schools for the last five years and will remain engaged for the next 10. Over the last two years, I have followed the board closely: analyzing all financial agenda items, offering public comments in meetings both in support and opposition, and have been an ally to both our LEA (teacher's union) and CSEA members through tough contract negotiations. My depth of knowledge of LVJUSD finances and operations, combined with my own professional and education experience, means I will be an effective Trustee on Day 1 of my tenure. I am also a fierce proponent of public education where all students are considered equally in decisions, our schools deliver an anti-bias evidence-based curriculum, and Title IX protections are vigorously enforced, with respect for student and teacher privacy rights.