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Tam Union High District
The True Truth: Tam Union’s Misplaced Priorities Hurt our Kids
Tam Union’s academic performance has been slipping while it diverts funds to other misplaced priorities. Millions upon millions (I stopped counting at $7 million in late 2023) have been spent on architects, contractors, political consultants, a bond project manager and other costs associated with a bond measure that has yet to be approved by voters.
Some of that money went down the drain – e.g., schematic drawings for a massive Redwood building project that was reconfigured after voters in March 2024 wisely rejected Measure A, a $1.04 billion tax to fund $517 million in new buildings and repairs.
A recent Marin Post blog post by Benedetto Cico criticizing Tam Union’s second bond measure attempt – Measure B on the November ballot, a $289 million bond costing taxpayers $579 million with interest – provoked a response from Tam Union Trustee Karen Loebbaka, entitled “The Truth about Measure B.”
The lady doth protest too much.
First, Ms. Loebbaka challenges the assertion that Tam Union has hired an excessive number of senior administrators. The truth (confirmed by District management and state compensation data) is that since the beginning of the 2021/2 school year the district has TEN new senior administrator positions.
Most of those were additional positions; a handful were title and compensation upgrades for existing employee positions. The newly created positions include FOUR Deans of Student Success; a new position “Director of Human Resources” (which is actually the #2 slot in HR) created for a Principal leaving Archie Williams; a new position “Senior Director of Curriculum and Instruction”; a new position of Senior Director of Facilities Planning; and a new position of Director of Custodial Services. They also upgraded the principal of San Andreas High School to Senior Director of DEI; upgraded a maintenance management position to Senior Director of Maintenance and Operations; and hired a Director of Bond Programming more than a year before voters weigh in on a second try at passing a bond tax measure.
In calendar 2023, total compensation for these positions generally ranged $225,000-$290,000. In the current year, the likely average is around $250,000 with benefits. Even if a few of the upgraded positions did not result in an additional FTE, the math suggests this senior administrator hiring and promoting binge added over $2 million in additional administrator total compensation. On top of that, they’ve added $450,000 this year for consultants at Tamalpais High School.
Now Ms. Loebbaka threatens that if Measure B fails, $17 million will need to be spent over the next two years on urgent repairs, the cost of which is “equivalent of laying off 50 teachers.” Maybe they should have given that more thought before rejecting a more modest $80 million bond measure for “critical needs” considered immediately after Measure A failed.
More to the point, why is it always teacher positions – not administrators’ jobs -- that are held hostage for your vote?
Second untruth: Ms. Loebaka asserts that
“The projects in Measure B include only the most essential, time sensitive and safety related projects as identified in the facilities master plan.”
The FMP she cites did NOT rate as Priority One any of the buildings that are part of an over $70 million new buildings complex at Redwood that includes a multi-purpose eating area (let’s call it a commons) and arts buildings. The FMP didn’t even have on the list an $11 million theater renovation at Archie Williams High School (which appeared only recently on the project list for the current bond proposal, a seemingly blatant attempt to buy votes in the part of the district that most strongly rejected Measure A).
Third half-truth: “The Tam District’s academics are some of the best in the state…. and it “prioritizes providing students with the best possible education.” Tam Union’s academic results are not what they once were. Its metrics, while still above average, are sliding while the District invests in administrators and aspirational building projects. Tam Union’s declining performance on the California State School Dashboard was one of the reasons voters rejected Measure A. Many felt that additional tax money would be better spent in the classroom.
New data came in this month showing that Tam Union’s scores on statewide tests eroded once again in 2024. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding state standards declined a whopping 6 percentage points in English and 5 in math.
Palo Alto’s two high schools’ math performance on that same metric was 17-24 percentage points greater than Tam Union’s, and a much higher percentage of their students exceeded (rather than just meeting) expectations in both math and English.
Measure B may pass because it asks taxpayers for 45% less than bloated Measure A. But new buildings won’t fix what’s truly wrong at the District. District leadership’s attention, as well as taxpayers’ money, must be refocused into the classroom with the goal of improving the education and life prospects for every student.
Key to that is questioning expenditures and fiscal commitments that might be put to better use in the classroom. There is a glimmer of hope for change, with two board seats now open (incumbents Karen Loebbaka and Leslie Harlander are not running for reelection this November).
As a district resident, I'm voting for Amos Klausner to serve as a Director of Tam Union. Here's the link to his website.
Amos is a TUHSD parent who has extensive fiscal oversight experience and is running on the platform “Not Another Rubber Stamp”. I believe he'll ask the kinds of questions that will lead to better decisions and improve the education and futures for all our students.