Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) schools opened this week, and we have lots of exciting news to share for the start of this 2026-27 school year.
[1]First, and perhaps most obvious for those who drive up and down Grand Street: The new Wood Middle School campus is officially open [2], and it is stunning. With 25 modern general classrooms, four state-of-the-art science classrooms, a new inclusive play area for our students who receive special education services, a brand new gym, media center, and administrative center, and ample outdoor space and greenery, the new campus is transforming not only that parcel of land but the educational experiences of Wood students.
We are deeply grateful to the many, many people who contributed to the creation of this campus, including Alameda taxpayers, the design committee, our architect and contractor partners, Wood staff and students, the hundreds of tradespeople who worked on the site, and the neighbors who put up with construction equipment and noise. This has been community collaboration at its best!
[3]Welcoming new principals and assistant principals
We’re also excited to introduce eight new principals and assistant principals at our schools this year. At our secondary schools, we welcome Alex Harp (principal, Alameda High School); Chiharu Kitchens (assistant principal, Encinal Jr. and Sr. High School); Danielle Bouchard (assistant principal, Lincoln Middle School); and Yordanos Weldeghiorgis (assistant principal, Wood Middle School).
At our elementary schools, we have Maulette Cardenas (assistant principal, Ruby Bridges Elementary School); Mark Segado (principal, Love Elementary School); Sherry Rouse (assistant principal, Love Elementary School); and Jean Liu (principal, Franklin Elementary School).
We welcome all the new administrators to our district and look forward to getting to know them.
New phone and device policy
In other news, we have updated our policy around smart phones and other personal devices on campus. This is in response to the Phone-Free School Act (AB 3216), which requires every school district to develop a policy limiting or prohibiting the use of smartphones in schools by July 1, 2026.
AUSD’s phone policy already met all requirements of the act. To ensure that the policy best fit the needs of students, employees, and families, however, over the last year district staff and the Board of Education’s Board Policy Subcommittee reviewed the existing protocol, solicited community feedback on it, and explored options for adapting it.
The resulting changes go into effect this school year. In summary, elementary and middle school students need to turn off and put away their devices all day (bell to bell), and high school students may use devices during non-instructional times. All students may use phones in class if there is an emergency, if it is part of a student’s IEP or medical plan, or if the teacher wants students to use their phones for instructional reasons.
Susan Davis is the Senior Manager of Community Affairs for the Alameda Unified School District. Reach her at [email protected] [4].