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Livermore school board members unanimously approved a by-trustee area map referred to as Olive 2 to be used beginning 2026, pending approval by the Alameda County Committee on School District Organization.
Created based on community feedback, the map segments the school district into five areas of roughly equal population. The areas will each be represented by one trustee, a shift away from at-large elections where constituents have voted for district-wide representatives.
Based on the map’s associated election sequencing, Areas 2, 3 and 5 will each vote for a trustee in the 2026 election. Areas 1 and 4 will participate in the 2028 election.
The district’s decision to employ by-area elections is meant to better represent constituents and avoid potential litigation under the California Voting Rights Act, which ensures representation for protected groups who may vote differently than the rest of the electorate, according to the resolution passed by the board in October.
Despite the stated intention behind this transition, commenters called the board’s vote premature at the Dec. 17 meeting and lacking in community engagement.
District officials responded by saying they completed outreach in light of its 90-day deadline. The community’s response to this outreach is out of the district’s hands.
“It’s definitely been seen,” LVJUSD coordinator of community engagement Michelle Dawson said of the information regarding this transition. “Whether that generates interest or not is something that we don’t control necessarily.”
Up for discussion were 12 maps of differing boundaries and differing numbers of schools within those boundaries.
Olive 2 rose above the other drafts based on the goals of having geographically contiguous districts, easily identifiable boundaries, district compactness and maintaining neighborhoods and socio-economic geographic areas called communities of interest.
Before coming to this decision, newly seated trustee Christiaan VandenHeuvel asked how districting would change the board’s discussions.
“The underpinning of this whole thing is to help communities of interest,” trustee Craig Bueno said. “Each person is going to lobby, work for the constituents within their specific (district), the whole as well, but primarily the people who elect you.”
During public comment, former LVJUSD board candidate Tara Boyce requested the board postpone its decision due to a lack of community engagement.
“There’s still a lot of open questions. There’s still a lot of things each of you does not understand about the maps. To choose a map to send to the county tonight is irresponsible, too early and even if we are held to a 90-day timeframe… you still have more time,” Boyce said.
Another commenter named Joanne Morrison echoed Boyce’s call for an extension.
Morrison suggested holding a townhall-like meeting to discuss the maps and outreach to Spanish-speaking residents.
She was also concerned the two new trustees who had just taken office that night “may not be able to vote responsibly” due to their newness to the board.
Following public comment, attorney Harold Freiman spoke to the urgency of the decision, given a legal 90-day deadline.
There are two plaintiff attorneys that have sent letters to school districts in Alameda County demanding their transitions to by-trustee area elections, he said.
Already one of those attorneys has identified LVJUSD among the districts they recommend to transition, as written in a letter to Alameda County Office of Education, Freiman said.
He added, under the protection of this 90-day decision-making period, the district cannot be sued under CVRA. But after that period, the district would no longer be protected from potential litigation.
If a demand letter were sent, then the district may owe statutory fees to the attorney on the order of $40,000. Additional costs would be incurred through litigation, he explained.
“Districts are faced with a choice. Either you wait to receive one of those letters and statistically the odds are very high you are going to receive one of those letters… or you decide to do it yourself,” Freiman said.
In addition to the potential cost incurred after receiving a demand letter, the plaintiff attorney would become involved in the map-making process, he said.
Dawson also jumped in to defend the district’s engagement.
Since Oct. 1 — when the board took action to commence the hearing process to transition to by-trustee area elections — LVJUSD has posted fliers online and at the Livermore libraries regarding the public hearings, she said. It has blasted the topic on its social media, which the city has doubled down on. News media outlets have published stories on the topic. In-person meetings with parents and staff have been held. Also, the district has sent out newsletters to families.
Freiman assured the board that all statutory requirements have been met. They are not required to hold any more public hearings.
On the subject of the new trustees’ readiness to vote, Superintendent Torie Gibson spoke to their knowledgeability.
“To say that the two of you may not be prepared is a far-cry from accurate,” Gibson said to VandenHeuvel and Deena Kaplanis.
She added, VandenHeuvel and Kaplanis have attended public hearings regarding the maps and received briefings from herself as well as Freiman.
The two trustees agreed to their preparedness for the decision.
In the end, VandenHeuvel expressed support for voting on a map that evening out of concern for imminent litigation and potential costs to the district.
“Sticking to this 90-day deadline will not cause any harm to our community and specifically the most vulnerable and marginalized parts of our community,” he said.
The trustees unanimously approved the Olive 2 map, though Bueno was reluctant due to his previous support of a different map.
Just before the map discussion got underway, Kaplanis and VandenHeuvel took the oath of office and officially claimed their seats at the dais. The two new board members are set to be the last elected via an at-large election.
They assumed the seats left vacant by Yanira Guzmán who did not run for reelection and Kristie Wang who is now the District 4 representative on the Livermore City Council.
According to election results certified by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, Kaplanis earned 24.01% of the vote (15,773) and VandenHeuvel totaled 23.11% (15,183). Behind the winners were Maggie Tufts at 22.63% (14,864), Tara Boyce at 20.06% (13,176), Amanda Pepper at 6.34% (4,163) and Jean Paulsen at 3.85% (2,531).
An additional 177 votes were cast by residents of Contra Costa County where a small portion of the district is located.
“We look forward to onboarding our newest board members and establishing supportive and collaborative relationships that will help us provide the best oversight of our district’s financial and educational goals,” Board President Emily Prusso said.
As a mother, Kaplanis has been a volunteer for Junction Avenue TK-8’s Parent Teacher Association, youth soccer and little league teams. Outside of volunteering, the longtime Livermore resident is a local chiropractor and small business owner.
Now in leadership, Kaplanis aims her attention on the district’s budget and educational betterment.
“My goal is to help the district reach financial stability and improve programs that prioritize student achievement and prepare students for their futures,” Kaplanis said in a statement.
VandenHeuvel shares a commitment to service within the district, with children in attendance and having graduated from LVJUSD schools as well as a spouse who is a special education teacher.
His leadership roles include having served as president of a parent-teacher student association and member of a school site council. He has also worked as a substitute teacher for the district and offered his time as a parent volunteer.
“My focus will be on fostering equity, collaboration, and innovation within our schools as we navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead,” VandenHeuvel said in a statement. “My professional background as a pastor and director has also taught me the importance of thoughtful leadership and compassionate problem-solving, which I hope to bring to the board.”
During the meeting, Prusso was also selected to serve as board president for a second one-year term and Steven Drouin was voted clerk.
