Happy New Year, and welcome back. I hope the start of 2026 has brought you moments of rest, connection, and hope. As we begin the second half of the school year, I want to share how we are approaching planning and budgeting for the 2026–27 school year, and how our community will help shape Albany Unified’s direction for years to come.

Planning With Purpose: Site-Based Budget Engagement

Over the coming months, our schools and district will engage in a thoughtful, transparent process to align student needs, community priorities, and fiscal decisions.

At the school level, sites will:

• Engage staff, families, and students (as appropriate) in reviewing site-level data, including achievement, growth, attendance, and social-emotional learning.

• Identify strengths, challenges, and root causes connected to instructional, leadership, and organizational practices.

• Develop a school-based theory of action that connects student needs to specific practices and expected outcomes.

• Identify clear, actionable priority practices for the 2026–27 school year and short-term outcomes to monitor progress.

• Partner with School Site Councils (SSCs) to review, refine, and approve School Plans for Student Achievement (SPSAs) and site budgets ahead of March budget lock-ins.

At the district level, we will host virtual community Town Halls to build a shared understanding of how school funding works, including constraints, trade-offs, and opportunities. These sessions are designed to support meaningful community participation in both district- and site-based planning conversations.

Your Voice Matters: Join the Conversation

As part of this work—and as we begin developing a Graduate Profile (Portrait of an Albany Graduate), we invite students, families, staff, and community members to share their ideas about the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that should define an Albany graduate.

In addition to the Board Study Session on January 13, we invite students, families, staff, and community members to learn more about how budgeting and planning will take place this year and into the future. To support shared learning and meaningful engagement, we have scheduled the following virtual (Zoom) Town Hall meetings for anyone interested in learning more about budgeting, planning, and our long-term direction:

• February 4 – Community Town Hall (combined with DELAC)

• February 11 – Community Town Hall (combined with Special Education Advisory)

• February 25 – Community Town Hall (combined with SAC)

Additional details and Zoom links will be shared in advance of each meeting.

Looking Ahead: Creating a Portrait of an Albany Graduate

This spring, we will begin collaboratively developing a Graduate Profile that articulates what we want every Albany Unified student to know, be able to do, and who they are becoming by graduation.

Beginning in 2027–28, this Graduate Profile will anchor a 3–5 year Strategic Plan that guides district priorities and budget decisions. This Strategic Plan will also serve as our next Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), aligning long-term goals, annual actions, and investments around shared student outcomes.

Thank you for your partnership, your questions, and your continued commitment to Albany’s students. Together, we are shaping a future grounded in shared values and high expectations for every learner.

With gratitude and optimism, 

Sara Stone

Superintendent

Albany Unified School District

Calendar Highlights: 

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

• January 13:  Board Study Session: Budget Planning for 2026–27

• January 14: Counted Out, 5:30–7:30pm, Ocean View Multi-Purpose Room

• January 27:  Regular Board Meeting

• January 29: Left Behind, 5:30–7:30pm, Albany High School Little Theater

  • Register for free tickets here.

• February 4: Community Town Hall (combined with District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC), 6pm, Zoom webinar, link will be provided.

• February 11: Community Town Hall (combined with Special Education Advisory), Zoom webinar, link will be provided.

• February 25: Community Town Hall (combined with Student Achievement Committee), 6pm, Zoom webinar, link will be provided.