Dear Albany Unified Community,
It is hard to believe we are already a month and a half into the school year. One of the best parts of my job is spending time in our schools and classrooms, seeing our students learning and connecting with our staff. There is so much happening across Albany Unified and much to celebrate. Each of these moments reminds me what One Albany Unified is about: learning from one another, building connections across our schools, and creating a community where every student belongs.
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📚 New literacy curriculum comes to life in elementary classrooms
📸 Students in Action
📢 Help Shape Student Success: Join the Student Achievement Committee!
🌎 Recognitions: Honoring our Diverse Histories, Cultures, and Experiences
🏆 Albany High Ultimate Frisbee Team National Champions
🕊️ Community Gathers for Peace Pole Dedication
🎷 Albany High Jazz Band Entertains
🏫 Community Open House for AUSD’s Facilities Master Plan
💰 Understanding Our Budget: How Measure G and Prop 28 Support Students
📅 District Events, Announcements & Important Dates
🎉 Latino/x Heritage Month Celebration, October 3
🔗 Ways to Stay Connected
💙 With Gratitude from Your Superintendent
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Elementary Literacy: Teachers are bringing Fishtank, the district's new elementary literacy curriculum, to life across our schools. Through rich, diverse books, students are building reading, writing, vocabulary, and discussion skills while learning about themselves and others' experiences.
Using Data to Support Students: Elementary teachers came together to review beginning-of-year DIBELS literacy data and identify what students need next. Principals described the conversations as thoughtful and energizing, with teachers asking great questions and taking collective responsibility for student learning.
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Learning Together: The first Principal and Assistant Principal Learning Walk of the year at Ocean View brought leaders together to learn across PK–12 and discuss the conditions students and staff need to thrive. Thank you to Principal Ana Delgado and the Ocean View staff for being the first hosts of the year! |
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Albany High School: Students in the Career Technical Education Emergency Medical Services program are engaged in hands-on learning while exploring careers in emergency services.
Albany Middle School & Elementary Schools: Across classrooms, students are writing, problem-solving, coding, discussing texts, building community, and settling into the routines that make strong learning possible.
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Albany Unified’s district-wide Student Achievement Committee is recruiting new members! We especially hope to hear from families of English Learners, students with disabilities, students from low-income households, and foster youth, though all are welcome.
SAC is an advisory group for the district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). The committee reviews progress toward district goals, examines student achievement data, and provides feedback on actions and investments to support students. This work also helps inform how we prioritize LCAP funding and align our budget with the needs of our students.
→ Interested? Fill out this brief Google Form and we will add you to the calendar invites!
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One of Albany Unified’s greatest strengths is the diversity of identities, cultures, histories, and experiences that make up our community. Recognition days and months offer opportunities to celebrate that diversity and deepen our understanding of one another.
The Board of Education honors these observances through proclamations, linked below as available. You'll also find these recognitions featured in the scrolling banner on our district homepage.
Sept. 15 – Oct. 15
Celebrating Hispanic and Latino/a/e histories, cultures, identities, and contributions as part of the rich diversity and shared story of our community.
October
Celebrating Filipino American history, culture, experiences, and contributions as part of our shared history and the community we continue to build together.
October
Celebrating the many ways we experience, learn, communicate, and move through the world while building understanding, removing barriers, and creating spaces where everyone belongs and can participate fully.
October 12 & November
Indigenous Peoples’ Day & Native American Heritage Month (Proclamation forthcoming)
Honoring Indigenous and Native American communities, histories, cultures, sovereignty, and ongoing contributions while deepening our understanding, building connections, and recognizing these communities as an essential part of our shared story.
These recognitions are part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring every student sees themselves reflected in our schools, learns about the experiences of others, and knows they belong in Albany Unified.
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Congratulations again to the Albany High School Ultimate Frisbee Team on winning the National Championship! The Board honored the team at its September 8 meeting with a Proclamation recognizing the team’s historic national championship and athletic excellence. |
On September 11, the Albany community joined Albany Unified School District and the Rotary Club of Albany to dedicate an International Peace Pole at the corner of Solano and Cornell avenues. Sponsored by AUSD and the Rotary Club, the dedication offered a meaningful reminder of our shared commitment to peace, remembrance, and unity. |
The Albany High School Jazz Band brought incredible energy to the Solano Stroll, sharing their music with the broader community and representing their school and district with joy and pride. |
Meet District staff and project architects, explore proposed campus upgrades, see how community feedback shaped the plans, and share your questions, hopes, and concerns.
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Community members have asked how Albany Unified uses Measure G and Prop 28 funds. We welcome these questions and are committed to being transparent about how every dollar supports students. Here is a brief overview of how we used these funds in the 2025-26 school year.
● Measure G: Our local parcel tax keeps talented teachers and staff in classrooms. In 2025-26, the district spent $4.85 million in Measure G funds, and 98 percent went directly to teacher and support staff salaries and benefits. This investment sustains the staffing levels and class sizes that help students thrive.
● Prop 28 (Arts and Music in Schools): This statewide funding expands arts education for every student. In 2025-26, Albany invested $698,486 in Prop 28 funds to support 5.02 full-time equivalent educators teaching art, music, orchestra, dance, drama, and computer education. More than 90 percent supported the educators and staff who lead this work, well above the state requirement of 80 percent, with the remainder funding instructional materials and supplies. Prop 28 funds may be spent over multiple years, and $532,158 remains available to continue growing arts opportunities for students.
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Learn more: We have added more detailed Measure G and Prop 28 expenditure information to the district website at www.ausdk12.org. We will continue sharing updates throughout the budget process and invite your questions along the way. |
Celebración Latina: Join the Latinas des Familias Saturday, Oct. 3rd from 1:00–4:00 p.m. at Albany Middle School for a scavenger hunt and piñatas, followed by performances by students and community members. We will also raffle prizes to support our student scholarships.
This event is open to all community members!
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October 3: Latino/x Heritage Month Celebration, 1–4pm Albany Middle School
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October 9: Fall Break - No School & District Offices closed
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October 12: Indigenous Peoples Day - No School & District Offices closed
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October 13: Board of Education Meeting, 6pm, Albany City Hall
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October 27: Board of Education Study Session, 6pm, Albany City Hall
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Explore our Events Calendar for events at individual school sites. You can also subscribe to have events appear in your preferred calendar app, such as Google Calendar, Outlook, or Apple Calendar.
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None of this happens without people. Albany Unified is deeply grateful for the teachers, classified staff, principals, district staff, families, volunteers, and community partners who show up every day for students.
There is so much to celebrate across the district: teachers bringing new curriculum to life, students engaged in reading, writing, problem-solving, music, and hands-on learning, and educators coming together to study data and learn from one another. Across Albany Unified, joyful classrooms, talented students, and dedicated staff are creating meaningful learning experiences every day.
We are Rooted in Community. Rising in Possibility.
And I am excited about where we are headed as One Albany.
With gratitude,
Sara Stone, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Albany Unified School District
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This Community Update is compiled by the Office of the Superintendent, Albany Unified School District. |
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