Growth Has Consequences — Our Schools Are Feeling Them

Dublin approved explosive development that drove DUSD enrollment up 92% in a single decade. But school funding hasn’t kept pace. In March 2026, over 700 Dublin teachers walked off the job for four days — the first teacher strike in the district’s history — over wages, healthcare, and class sizes that have ballooned as the city keeps growing.

The district is now cutting $6.8 million from its 2026-27 budget and eliminating 26.5 staff positions, all while preparing to open two brand-new schools — Emerald High and Shamrock Hills TK-8 — this fall. A $3.5 million budgeting error discovered in December 2025 deepened the crisis and shook community trust.

Why This Is a City Council Issue

The city and the school district are separate entities — but their fates are linked. Every housing project the council approves adds students to already-strained classrooms. The city collects developer impact fees. The city benefits from property tax revenue that new residents bring. But DUSD’s per-pupil funding is set by the state — meaning the city profits from growth while schools absorb the cost.

A council member can’t set school budgets, but they can ensure the city is a responsible partner:

• Development agreements should include mandatory school impact assessments — not as an afterthought, but as a condition of approval.
• Joint-use agreements for parks, recreation centers, and community spaces can save both the city and the district millions.
• Developer fees must be tracked transparently, with fair allocation toward school infrastructure.

Valley High and At-Risk Students

The dissolution of Valley High School — Dublin’s continuation campus for at-risk youth — is a quiet crisis. These are students who need more support, not less. Shivraj will advocate for the city to work with DUSD on alternative pathways so no student falls through the cracks.

Shivraj’s Commitment

Dublin’s schools are the reason most families moved here. When those schools are in crisis, the city can’t stand on the sidelines and claim it’s “not our jurisdiction.” Growth created this problem. The city must be part of the solution.