LVJUSD Board Elects New President, Clerk

LIVERMORE, CA — The Livermore Joint Unified School District Board elected Emily Prusso as its new president and Kristie Wang as its new clerk.

Prusso succeeds Craig Bueno, who served as president for eight years. Wang is filling Prusso’s former three years as clerk. The board votes on new leadership each year, and this year marks the first time in a while that leadership has changed.

“I truly appreciate my colleagues’ faith in me to serve as president. I have learned so much from Craig’s example, and I look forward to serving the board and our school district in this capacity,” Prusso said at the Dec. 12 meeting.

Wang also thanked Bueno for his mentorship of newer board members. “I look forward to taking on the board clerk duties and expanding my responsibilities as a board member,” she said.

“Over the past eight years, we have worked through many challenges and perpetual changes - school dismissal, distance learning, health mandates, solar projects, major facilities improvements, restoration of funding for arts and athletics, and most recently, a leadership transition in our superintendent,” said Bueno, who has served as president since 2015. “Over this timeframe, the board has changed with each election cycle, and despite those changes, Livermore students have always remained the sole focus of our district. It is my hope that as we transition leadership, we continue to cultivate the support and vision for the next decade of public education, as well as gain a fresh and expanded perspective. A robust public education is vital to the preservation of our democracy, and I look forward to supporting our Livermore students in my remaining years on the board.”

“We are truly appreciative of the added time and dedication you have given to serve in your roles,” Superintendent Chris Van Schaack said to both Bueno and Prusso. “Your focus has always been on how to best support the students, families, and staff in our district, and even though it is a somewhat challenging time to be a school board member, you have weathered those challenges and continuously advocated for the best for Livermore students.”