New Board Of Education Officers, 1st Interim Financial Report, Winter Concert Series, & Counted Out Film Preview

Dear Albany Community, 
Each December, our Board of Education selects its president and vice president for the year ahead. At Tuesday’s meeting, we had the opportunity to thank Becky Hopwood for her leadership as Board President this past year. Becky has been a steady, thoughtful partner in this work. She leads with integrity, keeps students at the center, and approaches every conversation with a calm, solutions-oriented mindset. I am so grateful for the time and care she has invested in supporting our district and our community. We also thanked Joshua Mahoney for his service as Vice President. He was elected to serve as our new Board President, and Trustee Dayna Inkeles was elected as Vice President. I truly appreciate each of our trustees and the experience, perspective, and commitment they bring to AUSD.

Looking ahead, in November 2026 our community will elect four new trustees. Serving on the Board of Education is one of the most meaningful ways a community member can contribute to the future of our schools. I encourage you to consider whether this might be a place where your leadership is needed. And if it’s not the right fit for you, please think about the engaged, thoughtful people in your life who care deeply about students and public education, and encourage them to consider running. We are grateful for everyone who partners with us to support AUSD.

AUSD’s Finances

When the District’s budget is passed in June for the next school year, we must project certain costs. For example, we don’t know our exact enrollment, and that makes a difference to our revenue and costs. Each December, the First Interim Financial Report is presented to Albany’s school board before it is sent to the County Office of Education. This report was presented at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting. It is important because projections made in June are replaced with actual figures. Please see the First Interim Financial Report or watch the video of Chief Business Official Linda Wu’s presentation to learn more. 

Winter Concert Series

Albany High’s Little Theater has been packed nightly with incredible performances from our middle and high school choirs and bands. Tonight the 4th and 5th grade elementary choirs will perform at Ocean View. The exceptional AMS & AHS Winter Orchestra Concert is pictured above. I know from personal experience that crowded venues with such notably remarkable student performances do not happen in all districts—AUSD, with help from the Albany Music Fund, has prioritized music education. This type of learning benefits both our students’ brain development and their social/emotional learning. It also benefits our community, as we come together for these beautiful concerts during the holiday season. My thanks to all of our arts educators, to our supportive families, and to all the students who performed.

Counted Out Film Preview

In our current information society, math influences many aspects of our daily lives. What we experience is underwritten by an invisible layer of math that few of us understand, or even notice. Our numeric literacy—whether we can speak the language of math—is a critical determinant of social and economic power. Through a mosaic of personal stories, expert interviews, and scenes of math transformation in action, Counted Out explores what is at risk in math education. We will be screening this important documentary on January 14. Please save the date, details to come.

Calendar Highlights: 

Please see messages from your school for complete information about events. 

• December 14: Winter Wonderland Potluck, 4:30–6:30pm, OV MPR. Sign up here.

• December 22–January 2: NO SCHOOL, December Holiday

• January 14: Counted Out, 5:30–7:30pm (Ocean View)

Sincerely, 

Sara Stone

Superintendent

Albany Unified School District