4/24/26

Dear Old Mill Families,

STEAM NIGHT is NEXT Wednesday, April 29 @ 5:00 - 6:00pm!

Mark your calendars for our 10th annual STEAM Night, where K-5 students are invited to share a project in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and/or Math! 

Measure E – Mill Valley School District Parcel Tax Renewal

Measure E, on the June 2, 2026 ballot, renews parcel tax funding for the Mill Valley School District. The District's existing parcel tax funding is expiring soon and, unless renewed by local voters, the District will lose one quarter of its current budget, approximately $12 million a year in locally controlled funding. A funding loss of this magnitude would require additional cuts to teachers, academic programs, and services. Seniors who own property in the district may apply for a senior exemption. More information about the measure, including the full text and impartial analysis, is available through the Marin County Elections Office and the attached one-pager from the district.

Introduction To Race-Work

Old Mill will host Dr. Lori A. Watson on May 15th @ 9:00-11:00am for an Introduction to Race-Work Parent Ed series.  If you are able to attend the first part on April 29th at 6:00-8:00pm at The Park School, please do so but it is not required for attendance.  There is a QR Code below for more information.  We look forward to seeing you there!

BMX Assembly & Bike Giveaway

As a result of Old Mill’s partnership with the Mill Valley Traffic and Mobility Advisory Committee, we have been awarded some funds to boost ridership and walking to school.  Some of the funds will be used to host an incredible BMX Assembly for the entire school on Friday, May 29th!  Students will get to see professional riders do tricks and talk about their journey to becoming professional cyclists.  

Also, TMAC has allocated funds for a bicycle giveaway!  If you would like to enter your child’s name into a random drawing for a new bicycle, please complete this form by May 15th.

Moving to another school next year?

If your student will not be returning to Old Mill next year, please email me (jmatlon@mvschools.org). This will help us better plan for the next school year. Thank you.

ITAV Hike!

Lunch Supervision

We need volunteers for lunch supervision.  Sign-up here!  As usual, come early, come often!  Sign-ups now open through MAY!

Over the past several weeks, we have conducted a series of engagement sessions to inform key District priorities, including the development of the 2026–2027 budget and the selection of a new school lunch provider. These efforts are designed to be thoughtful, transparent, and inclusive, ensuring we hear from a broad range of educational partners before making final decisions.

Budget Engagement and 2026–2027 Planning
The budget engagement process began with a Board Study Session in March, followed by school site visits with parents and a staff presentation. Each opportunity provided context on our current financial outlook, highlighted potential challenges ahead, and gathered input to guide our planning. We are grateful for the time, insight, and engagement of those who have participated. Your feedback remains essential as we work to make informed, responsible decisions for the future of our District. Community members are encouraged to share their perspectives using this link or the QR code. These insights help ensure our budget planning reflects the values and priorities of our community.

School Lunch Program Update
We are also in the process of reviewing qualifications for a potential new lunch provider. This effort has been guided by our commitment to providing students with high-quality meals that meet California school meal nutrition guidelines, while ensuring fiscal responsibility, environmental responsibility, and strong operational service.

The District initiated a formal Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to identify experienced vendors capable of meeting our program goals. The RFQ emphasized nutritional quality, menu variety, sourcing practices, cost structure, packaging and compostability, and reliable service. We received responses from three qualified providers.

Following review of submissions, all three vendors participated in a blind tasting process designed to gather feedback from students, parents, staff, and administrators on meal quality, taste, presentation, and appeal. Each provider prepared sample menus representative of their proposed offerings.

We were impressed by both the quality of the meals and how closely aligned the vendors were in our point-based scoring system, reflecting the overall strength of the proposals and making the process highly competitive.

Feedback from the tastings was combined with the RFQ criteria to inform the final recommendation. Key considerations included food quality and student appeal, nutritional alignment, operational capacity, cost competitiveness, packaging sustainability and compost potential, and responsiveness to District priorities.

This process is now nearing completion, and the final qualifying contract will be brought to the Board for approval on May 14. 

Upcoming:

April 29th: STEAM Night @ 5:00pm in the MPR

May 8th: PTA Meeting and Lost & Found

May 28th: Open House

June 9th: Field Day (morning)

Jun 12th: Last Day of School and 5th Grade Promotion @ 8:45am on Lower Yard!

Have a great weekend!

Jason Matlon

Principal, Old Mill Elementary