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Resident offers to seed transitional‑kindergarten program, urges district to act
Summary
During public comment, Eric Pellissier urged the board to start transitional kindergarten at Loma Prieta for local 4‑year‑olds, said the annual cost is about $80,000 (roughly 1% of the district budget) and offered $40,000 personally plus another $20,000 pledged by families to get TK started in fall 2025.
Eric Pellissier, who was introduced by the board as a public commenter, told trustees he was speaking on behalf of a dozen families seeking local transitional kindergarten (TK) seats.
"I'm here today to advocate for my son who is 4 years old and should be in TK here at Loma next year," Pellissier said, describing a one‑way 30‑minute drive to the nearest alternative and warning that long commutes would separate children from friends. He told the board he estimates the district cost at about $80,000 per year and called that roughly 1% of the district's budget.
Pellissier said he and other families are prepared to help start the program immediately. "I'm offering to pay out of my own pocket $40,000 of those dollars on the condition that TK starts in the fall of 2025," he said, adding parents had pledged another $20,000. He urged trustees not to defer action to future legislative solutions and said the money is available now for infrastructure and start‑up costs.
Board members acknowledged the comment but reminded speakers that public comment items are not on the agenda and that the board may be constrained by legal and budgetary rules. Trustees asked Pellissier to share any supporting budget documents with district staff so they can evaluate feasibility and the potential use of existing reserve funds or designated TK renovation funds.
The board did not take action during public comment but staff later flagged the upcoming 2025–26 budget adoption deadline as July 1, 2025, when any program changes would need to be accounted for.
