Board Member Jennifer Williams announced last Friday that she will be resigning from the Board of Education as of August 12.

A member of the Board since 2016, she noted that she needs to focus on her family.

“I am so proud of the work we have done together during the past ten years of my Board service,” she says. “We have fundamentally improved public education for all of the Alameda families we serve.  This work has been a highlight of my career and working with each of you has been a gift.  We have collectively created a strong foundation where our efforts will continue to support and nurture so many young people, and I wish you all the best as you continue to contribute to the Alameda community.”

“Vision, Leadership, and Determination”
Ms. Williams was originally elected to the Board of Education in 2016. Over the last decade, she has served as a Board Liaison to two parcel tax campaigns: Measures A (2020) and E (2024), and she worked closely with legal counsel to successfully defend a lawsuit challenging Measure A, securing a published appellate court decision that gives school districts across the state the ability to craft similar parcel tax efforts.

“Ms. William’s vision, leadership, and determination have helped us not only preserve but expand high-quality education here in Alameda Unified,” says Superintendent Scuderi. “She has improved our educational program, our services to students and families, and our facilities in ways that are too many to count. I am deeply grateful to her professional partnership and commitment to our students, staff, and families.”

She supported programs designed to support student wellness, including COVID-19 vaccination clinics, mental health supports, and full-day kindergarten, and she worked to update both anti-bullying and LGBTQ policies. She also championed salary increases for staff and naming the special education preschool program after former Superintendent and Board Member Ardella Dailey. She strengthened AUSD’s partnership with the College of Alameda, which expanded dual enrollment opportunities for AUSD high school students, and helped create a rotation policy that ensured that all Board members get to serve in all Board positions.

“Our board is so grateful to Jenn as a leader and mentor,” says Board President LaLonde. “She has been a fierce advocate for our families of color and our LGBTQ+ families as well a powerful lead in passing our tax measures that have been providing needed resources in Alameda. She has consistently modeled collaboration, tenacity, and grace both on the Board and with our various partners. We will miss her dearly, but we also support her decision to take care of her family.”

Next Steps
AUSD Board Bylaw 9223 dictates that when a board seat becomes open, the remaining board members can choose to fill that seat via appointment or special election. At its August 25 public meeting, the Board of Education will vote on which option to use.  (Under California Education Code, it is too late for Board Member Williams’ seat to be included on the ballot for the November 3 general election.)

Whether it is an appointment or an election, the term for this board appointment will run through November of 2028, when the next regularly scheduled Board of Education election will take place.   

AUSD will continue to update the community on the plans for filling the vacant seat over the coming weeks.