Meet The Livermore School Board Candidate: Christiaan VandenHeuvel

LIVERMORE, CA — Patch reached out to all candidates for the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees Areas 2, 3, and 5 with questions we feel San Ramon voters want to know. This is the first LVJUSD Board election with districts.

We reprinted their answers verbatim.

Below, read the responses of Christiaan VandenHeuvel, a pastor currently on the board running for re-election. VandenHeuvel was elected in 2024 to an at-large seat, and is now running to represent Area 5.

What is your educational background?

I have a bachelor’s of science degree in Psychology and have done some graduate-level work.

What is your professional background?

I have worked at Cornerstone Fellowship in Livermore since 2001, in a variety of roles. I now serve as Pastor of Care and Support. My work centers on building volunteer teams, walking with families through hard seasons, and leading people through change. I have also substitute taught in LVJUSD and served on PTSA and School Site Council.

Have you ever held public office, whether appointive or elective?
Yes. I was elected to the LVJUSD Board of Education in 2024 and currently serve as a district-wide trustee. In that role I have served on two budget oversight committees, took part in the search and hiring of Superintendent Dr. Tony Limoges, and helped steady the district through a significant leadership transition. I am now running to represent Area 5 in the district's first area-based election.

What are the top three issues facing LVJUSD right now?

1. Financial stability. The district faces a structural deficit. We had to make nearly $15 million in ongoing reductions to keep the required reserve and keep local control of our own budget. We need a multi-year plan so we are not making painful cuts in a rush every spring.

2. Student achievement gaps. Too many students are not getting what they need, especially English learners and students who are behind in math. Our UC/CSU course completion rate trails neighboring districts, and families notice.

3. Trust. After a difficult few years, teachers, classified staff and families need to see a board that communicates clearly, keeps its word and shows up. Staff morale and public confidence are tied directly to how well our students do.

What is one specific action you would prioritize during your first year in office?

I would support clear, plain-language budget reporting to the public. Families should not need a finance background to understand where the district's money goes, what trade-offs the board is weighing, and why.

In practice, that means regular budget updates written for parents, not just for accountants, posted well before major votes. It means showing how spending lines up with our student goals, and explaining the hard choices early instead of the week they are decided.

I believe that when people understand the numbers, they can weigh in sooner, the board makes better decisions, and trust grows. After the reductions we just went through, Livermore families deserve that level of openness.

LVJUSD approved nearly $15 million in ongoing budget reductions for 2026–27. Which reductions do you support, oppose or hope eventually to restore, and how would you pay for any restoration?

These reductions were painful. Behind every line item are real people and real services for students. But they were necessary. Without them, the district would have fallen below the state's required 3% reserve and risked losing control of its own budget to the Alameda County Office of Education. I believe that would have been worse for students and staff.

I was very surprised to see school closures on the reduction list. Going forward, my guiding principle is simple: protect what reaches students most directly. When restoration becomes possible, I want student-facing support to be first in line, especially the services that help struggling learners and student well-being.

How we pay for it is the hard part of this question. I would not support restoring ongoing positions with one-time money, because that is how districts end up back in the same hole a year or two later. Restoration has to come from ongoing sources: growing enrollment and attendance, which drive our state funding; careful review of central office and contract spending; and state and grant funding we are not fully using today.

I would rather make a promise I can keep than one that sounds good in October. My commitment is to bring back what we can, in the right order, on a foundation that holds.

This is LVJUSD’s first election using trustee areas. What unmet need do you see in your trustee area, and how would you advocate for it while still governing on behalf of the entire district?

Area 5 families want what every Livermore family wants: schools where their kids are known and supported. The unmet need I see most clearly is for students who are falling behind, especially English learners and students struggling in math. Math results for English learners trail the county average, and our UC/CSU course completion rate lags well behind Dublin and Pleasanton. That limits students' options after graduation before they have had a real chance to choose.

I also hear from families and staff about student mental health. Students cannot learn well when they are anxious, isolated, or overwhelmed, and counseling support is hard to find.

While I will be elected by a small portion of Livermore voters, I will still show up for every student in our district. The decisions we make as a board affect every single student, not just the students in my area. So I will listen closely at Area 5 schools and make sure these gaps are in front of the board when we set priorities through the LCAP and the budget. And I will keep my district-wide lens on in this next season, because the needs I see in Area 5 show up across Livermore, and the solutions should serve students wherever they are.

Why do you feel you're a better candidate than your opponents?

I respect everyone in this race, and voters are well served by having choices. Here is what sets me apart.

Experience. I have served two years on this board through one of the district's hardest stretches. I helped hire our new superintendent, helped steady the district through a leadership transition, and built real relationships with teachers, classified staff, and families along the way.

Budget understanding. I have served on two budget oversight committees. I know how a school budget works: where the money comes from, what is fixed, what is flexible, and what a cut or a promise really costs. That knowledge protects classrooms.