Mill Valley 7.9-Foot High Tides, Peninsula Schools & CA Cost Pressures

Coastal flooding in Marin County, local governance and education developments on the Peninsula, and statewide economic debates around Proposition 40 and family child care costs led regional coverage across the Bay Area on Thursday, October 29, 2026.

Mill Valley High Tides Reach 7.9 Feet Along Miller Avenue

In Marin County, KTVU FOX 2's Mark Tamayo and Lisa Fernandez reported that tidal swells in Mill Valley reached 7.9 feet compared to normal 6.6 feet, closing roads on Miller Avenue and causing vehicles to get stuck in rising coastal waters.

Citing data from the National Weather Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the California King Tides Project, and NC State assistant professor Dillion Amaya, KTVU FOX 2 explained that the flooding results from a "triple whammy" of El Niño, slow-moving warm underwater Kelvin waves traveling from Cabo San Lucas to San Diego and San Francisco, and long-term sea level rise, with the highest King Tides of the year typically arriving around Dec. 24.

Menlo Park District 2 Council Race & Palo Alto's AI-Powered Alpha School

On the Peninsula, Vamsi Velagapudi (age 47) vs. Drew Combs; Alpha School $75,000 annual tuition across 40 schools highlighted local civic and educational coverage:

• Menlo Park City Council District 2: The Almanac's Arden Margulis profiled challenger Vamsi Velagapudi, 47, a retired McKinsey consultant originally from London who moved to Menlo Park in 2018 and is challenging two-term incumbent Drew Combs for the District 2 seat representing the Willows, Flood Park Triangle, Lorelei Manor, and Suburban Park. Velagapudi serves on the Menlo Park Finance and Audit Commission, the Menlo Park City School District's Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee, and the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Advisory Board, and is endorsed by Councilmembers Jennifer Wise and Jeff Schmidt, the San Mateo County Democratic Party, and the San Mateo County Central Labor Council. Addressing the 80 Willow builder's remedy proposal on the former Sunset Magazine site and the Nov. 3 ballot's Measure P, Velagapudi said he opposes Measure P, supports building affordable housing on downtown parking lots, and proposes raising the city's business license tax caps—currently $1,250 for offices with over 200 employees and $8,000 for gross sales over $30 million—to generate revenue from major employers such as Meta (where Combs works and must recuse himself) and Snowflake.
• Palo Alto's Alpha School: NBC Bay Area's Scott Budman reported on Alpha School in downtown Palo Alto, one of 40 Alpha Schools nationwide where artificial intelligence personalizes each student's daily lesson plan. Students spend two hours each morning working on individualized math and science academics guided by background AI software—rather than chatbots—before spending the afternoon on social and life skills. Co-founder Mackenzie Price and dean of parents Emma Ludwick noted that while annual tuition is $75,000, the school provides financial aid and collaborates with public schools.

California Proposition 40 Billionaire Tax & Rising Child Care Costs

At the statewide level, voters and families are weighing both ballot tax policy and household child care expenses:

• California Proposition 40 (5% Billionaire Tax): As reported by ABC7 News' Ivan Pereira, Zoe Kava, and Megan Fahrney, voters in 13 states face ballot initiatives affecting voter access and rights, while 5 states—California, Iowa, North Carolina, Colorado, and Washington—will decide tax measures on Election Day. In California, Proposition 40—one of four tax-related propositions on the state ballot—would levy a 5% tax on taxpayers and trusts with assets over $1 billion to fund state healthcare programs, food assistance programs, and public education.
• California Child Care Costs Climb 38% to $1,517 a Month: Hoodline's Ben Levine, citing reporting by LAist, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reported that California families paying for at least 20 hours of weekly care faced a $1,517 median monthly cost in 2025 (up 38% from $1,100 in 2023). Overall child care prices have risen 6.6% since January 2025 and 31.3% since December 2019, with Stanford researchers finding county median annual costs ranging from $10,980 to $24,636 and provider turnover between 19% and 29%. Families profiled by LAist included Genny Richard of Irvine, who pays $2,020 a month for full-time Montessori care (more than her household rent); Pamela Arciaga of Glendale, who accrued about $20,000 in credit card debt while paying $1,000 a month for three-day-a-week preschool; and Daniel Contreras of Whittier, whose family spent about $3,000 a month while two children were in full-time care and still pays $1,000 monthly for after-school care. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, the state had added nearly 130,000 subsidized child care spaces as of 2024–25 toward a goal of more than 200,000.