Data & Explainers
I did the homework so other families don't have to. Test scores, ballot measures, school money, AI in the classroom — explained in plain language, with the sources right there.
On the November 3, 2026 ballot
Read the Measure W explainer
What the $168-per-year parcel tax would fund, who pays, exemptions, and what happens if it passes or fails.
Every page here follows the same rule. Show where the number came from. Say plainly what is still unknown. Separate what one board member can control from what depends on the whole board, district staff, future budgets, or the state. The goal is not to hand you my conclusion. It's to help you ask a better question at the next board meeting.
“What are these two school funding measures, who governs each one, and what would each actually do?”
A plain-language explainer of how school funding works in Walnut Creek: Measure W (Acalanes Union High School District, November 3, 2026 ballot), what happened to Measure L (Walnut Creek School District, failed June 2, 2026), and why these measures keep appearing.
“What is Measure W, what would it cost me, and what would it pay for?”
Measure W: a $168/year flat parcel tax for 8 years for Acalanes, Campolindo, Las Lomas, and Miramonte, on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. Cost, exemptions, what it funds, and what happens if it fails.
“What are our kids actually being taught, and how would any of us know whether it's working?”
WCSD's adopted curriculum by subject, CAASPP results for every school vs. the state and nearby Contra Costa districts, pre-/post-pandemic trends, and a curriculum comparison with Lamorinda and aspirational Bay Area districts.
“Are our kids getting enough movement, support, and time away from screens?”
Why counselor support, library staffing, recess and PE, and time away from screens matter — and what California law actually requires of districts in each area, versus what's left to local school boards to decide.
“How do we teach kids to think for themselves when AI can give them an answer in seconds?”
No hype, no panic. What AI is, what parents should know, age-appropriate critical-thinking skills, and questions families can ask at home and at school.
