PIEDMONT -- With all schools in seismic readiness when students returned last week, school officials issued a "high five" for all those involved in the six-year-long retrofit projects which resulted in six beautiful, safe schools.

"Kids stormed onto the blacktop at Beach school to explore their new site," assistant Superintendent Randy Booker said.

Beach was the last school to undergo renovation. Students spent the past school year at their "Beach by the Bay" campus in the rented Emeryville site. Wildwood and Havens schools took their turns earlier at the Emeryville campus as retrofitting progressed.

"We work very hard to make the first day of school a magical moment -- to see the teachers' enthusiasm. The custodians did a fantastic job. The facilities look gorgeous," he said.

Booker screened a video presentation for the school board at the Aug. 22 meeting to showcase the opening of school, featuring the smiling faces of staff and students alike.

The board moved on to review the district's budget, which is without any significant changes for now. The projected budget assumes that at least one of the school funding initiatives on the November ballot would pass, but that state funding would still remain flat for at least two upcoming fiscal years.

Projections predict a gap of $1.25 million beginning in 2013-14, and another $1.25 million or more for 2014-15.

Administrators will continue to discuss program priorities

with staff, advisory committees, parent clubs and site councils to plan various scenarios to close the budget gap. Those include reducing expenditures by reoganizing or reducing programs for students. If necessary, any layoff notices to teachers would have to be issued before March 15. The district must have a plan in place for 2013-14 no later than March.

Highlights of the 2012-13 budget include an increase of 40 new students; $245,600 transferred from the parcel tax reserve fund to the general fund; Measure B parcel tax revenues of $8.9 million; maintain 3 percent reserve requirement.

The 2012-13 operating budget shows $28.8 million in revenues, with $30.5 million in expenditures. The shortfall of $1.7 million was addressed by transferring funds from reserve accounts to balance the budget.

"The Piedmont school district will have money to meet its obligations," assistant Superintendent Michael Brady said.

In other business, the board and administration thanked outgoing board president Roy Tolles for his two years of service as president and presented him with an engraved gavel.